News

April 20, 2007:  Westchester County Clerk Timothy C. Idoni advises Westchester County homeowners to beware of a direct mail solicitation letter offering to obtain a certified copy of the homeowner's deed at a cost as high as $89.95. The mailing advises the recipient that a deed was filed in the "Westchester County Registers Office" and suggests that homeowners may prefer to have a certified copy of their deed. Homeowners are told they can order their deed by mailing in a return form, faxing the form, or ordering a certified copy of their deed online.

"No Westchester County homeowner needs to pay an excessive fee to obtain a certified copy of their deed," cautioned Idoni. "And homeowners should not be made to feel that they need a certified copy of a document which has been properly recorded in our office." Idoni continued, "Deeds are recorded by my staff and then returned to the party who has recorded them. In most cases, this is the attorney for the new homeowner."

Idoni and his staff became aware of these letters recently. They urge Westchester residents to know the facts about obtaining a certified copy of their deed. "Westchester County homeowners can always obtain a certified copy of their deed from our office for the cost of only $5.00 for up to five pages, plus $1.00 for each additional page," stated Idoni. "And residents should know that if their deed was filed in this office, it has been recorded and remains valid whether or not the homeowner has a certified copy of that deed in their possession."

Homeowners interested in obtaining a certified copy of their deed in person at the Westchester County Clerks Office should visit the Land Records Division located at 110 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in White Plains between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:45 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. Homeowners who cannot visit the office in person are urged to call (914)995-3130 to speak to a staff member in our Land Records division to learn the procedure for ordering a certified copy by mail. It will be helpful to have the exact name or names of the property owners and the property address available before calling our staff. Staff will then advise callers of the fee for obtaining a certified copy and offer instructions on how to order by mail. Homeowners can also email their request to CC-Land@westchestergov.com.

The Land Records Division of the County Clerk's Office records all documents pertaining to real property transactions occurring in the County of Westchester. This division of the Office of the Westchester County Clerk also processes New York State Mortgage Tax, New York State Transfer Gains Tax, Federal Tax liens, Uniform Commercial Code filings, and is home to our Map Division. The public can visit the Land Records Division to look up a current mortgage or deed, and even research documents dating back to the colonial days of Westchester.  For more information, please call 995-3094 or visit our website at www.westchesterclerk.com.