Find Property Records in Broome County
Broome County property records are maintained by the County Clerk's Office and the Real Property Tax Service in Binghamton, the county seat. Located in the Southern Tier of New York State, Broome County keeps land records dating back to 1806. The County Clerk records deeds, mortgages, liens, and other instruments affecting real property. The Real Property Tax Service office maintains tax maps, assessment rolls, and parcel data for all municipalities in the county, providing a complete picture of property ownership and valuation.
Broome County Property Records Overview
Broome County Clerk Property Records
The Broome County Clerk's Office is the official custodian of land records for the county. The office is located at Government Plaza, P.O. Box 1766, Binghamton, NY 13902. You can call (607) 778-2130 for information about land records and recording. The office records all deeds, mortgages, liens, and other real estate instruments filed in Broome County. Public access terminals are available in the office for searching land records free of charge during business hours.
Land records in Broome County date back to 1806. The office maintains grantor and grantee index searches for locating recorded instruments by party name. Copy fees are $1.00 per page for regular copies and $5.00 per document for certified copies. eRecording services are available through authorized vendors including Simplifile, eRecording Partners Network, and other authorized platforms, allowing electronic document submission around the clock. The Clerk's Office does not provide legal advice or title search services.
How to Search Broome County Property Records
The Broome County online property search system provides access to property data for all municipalities in the county. You can search by address, owner name, or parcel number in the Section-Block-Lot format. Property details include assessed value, full market value, property class, and acreage. Building details show year built, square footage, number of rooms, and construction type. Exemption information and tax bill amounts for county, city or town, and school taxes are also displayed. Aerial photography is integrated with parcel maps for visual reference. The system is available around the clock at no cost and does not require registration.
For recorded land documents such as deeds and mortgages, the County Clerk's Office provides in-person access through public terminals. The grantor and grantee indexes allow searches by the names of parties to transactions. While remote online access to document images may be limited compared to assessment data, the in-person terminals offer a thorough way to trace chains of title. Data in the property search system is updated each year after the final assessment roll is filed with the State Board of Real Property Tax Services.
The Broome County Real Property Tax Service at Government Plaza, 60 Hawley Street, 5th Floor, Binghamton, NY 13901, also welcomes in-person visitors. Assessment rolls and tax maps are available for public inspection at this office. Tax maps show property boundaries, parcel numbers, dimensions, and acreage. The Statewide Parcel Map Program provides additional parcel data for Broome County through downloadable datasets and web services.
Property Records Filing Fees
Recording a deed in Broome County requires a statutory recording fee of $45.00 plus $5.00 per page, with additional fees for cross-references and required forms. The recording requirements page from the Broome County Clerk outlines all formatting standards. Pages must be 8.5 by 11 inches or 8.5 by 14 inches with original signatures. Documents must be properly acknowledged by a notary public or other authorized officer.
Deed recording requires the TP-584 Combined Real Estate Transfer Tax Return at a cost of $5.00, plus the RP-5217 Real Property Transfer Report at $125 for residential or farm property and $250 for other property types. Transfer tax of $4 per $1,000 of consideration must be paid on deed conveyances. Cover pages are generated by the Clerk's office and serve as the official recording endorsement required by Real Property Law Section 319. Deeds must include grantor and grantee names and addresses, property description, and consideration amount. Mortgages must contain borrower and lender information, property description, and loan amount.
All fees must be paid at the time of recording. Personal checks are accepted but may delay processing. eRecording is available through Simplifile, eRecording Partners Network, and other authorized vendors for electronic submission. Mortgage recording tax at the state rate of $0.50 per $100 of mortgage debt also applies when filing a mortgage in Broome County.
Property Records and Tax Assessment
The Broome County Real Property Tax Service maintains tax maps and assessment rolls for all municipalities in the county. Tax maps show property boundaries, parcel numbers, dimensions, and acreage for every parcel. Assessment rolls contain assessed values, exemptions, and property classifications. The agency provides support to local assessors in towns and villages throughout the county, helping to ensure that assessments are fair and uniform across jurisdictions.
Equalization rates and residential assessment ratios are calculated each year by the Real Property Tax Service. Sales data is collected and analyzed for assessment and equalization purposes, as required by Real Property Tax Law Article 8. The City of Binghamton Assessment Department determines property values within city limits. The tentative assessment roll is published each year with a grievance period following. The Board of Assessment Review meets in June to hear complaints from property owners. Exemption applications including STAR, veterans, senior citizens, and disability must be filed by March 1st.
The STAR program provides school tax relief to eligible Broome County homeowners. Basic STAR applies to primary residences with combined owner income of $500,000 or less. Enhanced STAR serves homeowners age 65 and older with income below $92,000. New homeowners register with the Department of Taxation and Finance to receive STAR credits. Additional property tax exemptions are available under Real Property Tax Law Article 4 for veterans, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, agricultural properties, and charitable organizations.
Legal Framework for Property Records
Broome County property records are governed by the Real Property Tax Law and the Real Property Law. Recording a deed or mortgage with the County Clerk provides constructive notice under Real Property Law Section 293. Unrecorded conveyances are void against subsequent good faith purchasers for value who record first, as stated in Section 292. These provisions make it essential to record property documents promptly after a transaction closes.
Public access to Broome County property records is protected by the Freedom of Information Law. Under FOIL, written requests must be answered within five business days. Copy fees are capped at 25 cents per page for photocopies. Assessment records, tax maps, and recorded land documents held by the County Clerk and Real Property Tax Service are all subject to FOIL. Property owners who believe their assessment is incorrect may file a complaint with the local Board of Assessment Review under Real Property Tax Law Article 5, or pursue judicial review through an Article 7 proceeding in Supreme Court.
Communities in Broome County
Binghamton is the county seat and largest city in Broome County. Property assessments for the city are handled by the City of Binghamton Assessment Department. Other communities in the county include the towns of Vestal, Union, Binghamton, Conklin, and Kirkwood. Each municipality has its own assessor who maintains the local assessment roll. All assessment data flows to the Broome County Real Property Tax Service for tax map maintenance and equalization rate calculations. Property owners in any municipality can view their assessment information through the county's online property search system.