Find Property Records in Chemung County
Chemung County property records are maintained by the County Clerk's Office and Real Property Tax Services in Elmira, the county seat. Located in the Southern Tier of New York State, Chemung County has land records dating back to 1836. The County Clerk serves as the official custodian of recorded documents including deeds, mortgages, liens, and easements. Real Property Tax Services maintains assessment rolls, tax maps, and parcel data for all municipalities including the City of Elmira and surrounding towns.
Chemung County Property Records Overview
Chemung County Clerk Property Records
The Chemung County Clerk's Office is located at 210 Lake Street, Elmira, NY 14901. The phone number is (607) 737-2920 and the fax is (607) 737-0342. You can reach the office by email at countyclerk@chemungcountyny.gov. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The Clerk's Office serves as the official custodian of records for the county, with records dating back to 1836.
Services provided by the Clerk's Office include recording deeds, mortgages, and land records, as well as filing court documents and business certificates. The office also handles notary services, passport applications, pistol permits, and military discharge recordings. Public access terminals provide free on-site access to the property records database. Recording fees in Chemung County are $40.00 for the first page and $5.00 for each additional page. Property record searches cost $5.00 per name or parcel. Photocopies are $0.25 per page, and certified copies carry an additional $5.00 per document fee. Large format documents such as maps and plans cost $5.00 to $15.00 depending on size.
How to Search Chemung County Property Records
The SDG Image Mate Online system provides real-time access to real property information for Chemung County. The system includes RPS data, tax maps, and photographic images of properties. You can search by address, owner name, or Section-Block-Lot number. Property details include assessed value, building characteristics, exemption information, and historical assessment data for comparison. Note that taxes shown on the webpages are billed taxes but do not indicate whether the tax has been paid. Contact the Treasurer at (607) 737-2927 to verify payment status.
Public computer terminals at the County Clerk's Office provide free on-site access to the complete property records database. You can find deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, and property tax assessments through these systems. The office is located at 210 Lake Street, Elmira, NY 14901, and staff can assist with searches during regular hours. The eRecording FAQ explains that electronic recording is available through Simplifile and eRecording Network, as permitted by New York State law since September 24, 2012.
The Statewide Parcel Map Program provides parcel centroid data for Chemung County. This data assigns a point location for each tax parcel, which is useful for mapping applications and geographic analysis. Tax maps maintained by Real Property Tax Services show property boundaries and parcel identification numbers. These maps are available at the office at 425 Pennsylvania Avenue, Elmira, NY 14904.
Property Records Filing Fees
Chemung County uses a slightly different fee structure than many other New York counties. Deed recordings are $40.00 for the first page and $5.00 for each additional page. The TP-584 form costs $5.00 and the RP-5217 fee is $125 for residential or farm property and $250 for other types. Transfer tax of $4 per $1,000 of consideration is due at the time of filing. Mortgage recording tax at the state rate of $0.50 per $100 of mortgage debt also applies when filing a mortgage.
Documents submitted for recording must meet New York State formatting requirements. Pages need proper margins, legible text, and original signatures with notary acknowledgments. Under Real Property Law Section 294, instruments must be duly acknowledged before a notary public or authorized officer. eRecording through Simplifile and eRecording Network is available around the clock. Portal companies charge per-document fees for their services, and you should contact them directly for pricing and registration information.
Certified copies of recorded documents must be obtained directly from the courthouse. The County Clerk endorses each recorded instrument with the date and time received, along with the filing location, as required by Real Property Law Section 319. For questions about liens, UCC filings are handled through the New York Department of State, not the County Clerk.
Property Records and Tax Assessment in Chemung County
Chemung County Real Property Tax Services is located at 425 Pennsylvania Avenue, Elmira, NY 14904. The phone number is (607) 737-2989. The office maintains property assessment records and tax maps for all municipalities in the county. Assessment rolls are available through the Archive Center, which contains 2025 and 2024 final assessment rolls for the City of Elmira and all towns including Ashland, Baldwin, Big Flats, Catlin, Chemung, Elmira, Erin, Horseheads, Southport, Van Etten, and Veteran.
The City of Elmira is the largest municipality in Chemung County. About 38% of city property is tax-exempt. The property tax rate is approximately $22.90 per $1,000 of assessed value. The City Assessor's Office handles property assessments within city limits and has a shared service agreement with the Town of Elmira. Each town also has its own assessor who maintains the local assessment roll. The Real Property Tax Services office provides support and coordination across all assessing units.
The Chemung County Treasurer's Office handles property tax payments and provides a property tax search inquiry online. The lobby is open for walk-in service from 9:00 AM to noon and 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Sewer district tax bills are separate from property tax bills. Annual sewer bills not paid by October 31st are relevied onto county taxes with a 7% penalty. Online credit card payments are subject to a 2.95% service fee with a minimum of $1.50. The STAR program provides school tax relief to eligible Chemung County homeowners.
Legal Framework for Property Records
Chemung County property records are governed by the Real Property Tax Law and the Real Property Law. Real Property Law Section 292 makes unrecorded conveyances void against subsequent good faith purchasers for value who record first. Section 293 establishes that recording provides constructive notice. The County Clerk must maintain alphabetical indexes of grantors and grantees under Section 291.
Public access to property records is guaranteed by the Freedom of Information Law, found in Public Officers Law Sections 84 through 90. Agencies must respond to written FOIL requests within five business days. The Records Access Officer at the County Clerk's Office processes these requests. Copy fees under FOIL cannot exceed 25 cents per page. Property assessment records, tax maps, and recorded land documents are all subject to FOIL disclosure. Property owners may challenge assessments through the Board of Assessment Review under Real Property Tax Law Article 5, or through judicial review under Article 7 in Supreme Court.
Communities in Chemung County
Elmira is the county seat and the largest city in Chemung County. No city in the county meets the population threshold for a dedicated page on this site. Other communities include the Town of Horseheads, Town of Big Flats, Town of Southport, and the Town of Elmira. The Village of Horseheads and Village of Elmira Heights are also part of the county. Each municipality has its own assessor. Property assessment data for all these communities flows to the county Real Property Tax Services office for coordination, tax map maintenance, and equalization rate reporting.