Franklin County Property Records Search

Franklin County property records are maintained by the County Clerk and the Real Property Department in Malone. The County Clerk records deeds, mortgages, and other instruments affecting land ownership across the county. The Real Property Department maintains assessment rolls, tax maps, and parcel data for all municipalities. Located in northern New York along the Canadian border, Franklin County has land records dating to 1808. Public access computers at the Clerk's office let you search property records at no charge, and online tools provide assessment data and parcel information for research purposes.

Franklin County Clerk Property Records

The Franklin County Clerk's Office records all land documents for the county. The office is at 355 West Main Street, Malone, NY 12953. Phone: (518) 481-1681. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

Recording fees are $45 base plus $5 per page. Transfer taxes and form fees are collected at the time of recording. The TP-584 filing fee is $5. The RP-5217 costs $125 for residential or farm property and $250 for commercial or other types. Copies are $1 per page. Certified copies cost an additional $5 per document. Documents must be properly acknowledged before a notary or authorized officer under Real Property Law Section 294.

eRecording is available through authorized vendors. This lets documents get submitted electronically at any time. Public access computers in the office are set up for searching grantor and grantee indexes. Under Real Property Law Section 291, these indexes list all recorded instruments alphabetically by party name. Recording provides constructive notice under Section 293.

Historical records in Franklin County go back to 1808. These older documents are part of the permanent collection at the Clerk's office. Under Section 292, an unrecorded conveyance is void against a later good faith purchaser who records first. The Clerk does not provide title search services. You will need to hire a title company or attorney to perform a title search using the records on file.

Franklin County Property Records and Assessment

The Franklin County Real Property Department is in the county office building in Malone. This office maintains tax maps and assessment rolls for all municipalities in the county. Assessment rolls are open for public inspection.

Local assessors in each town handle the actual valuation of properties. The county department provides support, training, and oversight. Tax maps are updated each year when new subdivisions get filed or lot lines change. Equalization rates are calculated annually and reported to the state. Sales data from property transfers is collected and analyzed to track market trends and check assessment accuracy.

Exemption information is available from the Real Property Department. Common exemptions include STAR for school tax relief, veteran exemptions, senior citizen exemptions, and agricultural exemptions. Under Real Property Tax Law Article 4, each exemption has specific eligibility requirements and deadlines. Most applications must be filed with the local assessor by March 1.

The grievance process lets owners contest their assessed values. Under Real Property Tax Law Article 5, tentative rolls are published each spring with a grievance period. Property owners file complaints with the Board of Assessment Review. If the board's decision is not satisfactory, Article 7 proceedings in Supreme Court provide judicial review. The STAR program saves homeowners money on school taxes. Basic STAR covers primary residences. Enhanced STAR is for seniors 65 and older.

Searching Franklin County Property Records Online

Online property search tools for Franklin County provide access to assessment data and parcel information. You can search by address, owner name, or SBL number. The tools are free and run around the clock.

For broader research, the NYS GIS Clearinghouse has parcel data for Franklin County as part of its statewide dataset. The Office of Real Property Tax Services publishes municipal profiles containing statistical data on property values and tax rates for each assessing unit in the county.

Court records for property cases in Franklin County are accessible through the eCourts system. Franklin County is in the Fourth Judicial District. Foreclosures, partition actions, and judgment liens are handled in Supreme Court. The court records page has information on requesting copies of filed documents from the Clerk of the Court or the County Clerk.

Property Records Access Under New York Law

Franklin County property records are public under the Freedom of Information Law. FOIL covers assessment rolls, tax maps, and recorded land documents. Agencies must respond to requests within five business days. Copy fees are capped at 25 cents per page for photocopies.

Transfer taxes apply to property sales. The state real estate transfer tax is $2 per $500 of consideration on sales over $500. The Mansion Tax of 1% applies to residential sales of $1 million or more. The mortgage recording tax base rate is $0.50 per $100 of mortgage debt. Franklin County is not in the MCTD, so no additional surcharge applies. Form TP-584 and Form RP-5217 are required with every conveyance.

The Division of Corporations at the Department of State maintains UCC filings that may touch Franklin County property. Fixture filings and financing statements are searchable through the state database. UCC search certificates cost $25 per debtor search. These records supplement the deed and mortgage records at the County Clerk for anyone doing a full lien search on a parcel in Franklin County.

Nearby Counties

Franklin County shares borders with several northern New York counties. Each has its own County Clerk and Real Property Department for property records.