Access Rockland County Property Records

Property records in Rockland County are maintained by the County Clerk and the Real Property Tax Department in New City. The County Clerk records deeds, mortgages, liens, and other land documents for all municipalities in the county. Rockland County sits in the Hudson Valley region and is part of the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District. The Real Property Tax Department handles tax maps, assessment rolls, and equalization data used for property tax administration across the county's towns and villages.

Rockland County Clerk Property Records

The Rockland County Clerk records property documents at 11 New Hempstead Road, New City, NY 10956. Phone is (845) 638-5070. The office maintains grantor and grantee indexes as required by Real Property Law Section 291. You can search by party name to find deeds, mortgages, and other recorded instruments. Recording fees are $45 base plus $5 per page, along with applicable taxes.

eRecording is available through authorized vendors. Title companies and attorneys can submit documents electronically without visiting the office in person. The Clerk does not perform title searches. Private title companies and attorneys handle that work using the indexes and recorded documents maintained by the Clerk's office. The office is open during regular business hours Monday through Friday.

Documents must be properly acknowledged before a notary public under Real Property Law Section 294. The Clerk endorses each recorded instrument with the date and time of receipt, the liber and page number, and references to related prior instruments under Section 319. Under Section 292, unrecorded conveyances are void against later good faith purchasers who record first.

Property Records and Tax Assessment

The Rockland County Real Property Tax Department maintains tax maps and assessment rolls. Tax maps show parcel boundaries, dimensions, and identification numbers. Assessment rolls list every property with its assessed value, property class code, exemptions, and taxable amount. These records are public. Local assessors in each town prepare tentative assessment rolls each year.

Property owners can challenge their assessment during the grievance period. The Board of Assessment Review hears complaints under Real Property Tax Law Article 5. If the board does not grant relief, owners can pursue Article 7 proceedings in Supreme Court. The Office of Real Property Tax Services publishes equalization rates for each assessing unit in Rockland County. These rates measure how local assessments compare to full market value.

Rockland County is part of the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District. This means additional mortgage recording tax surcharges apply when filing a mortgage with the County Clerk. The MCTD includes Rockland, along with the five NYC boroughs, Nassau, Suffolk, Orange, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester counties. This is something to keep in mind when calculating recording costs for property transactions in the county.

Recording Property Documents

Every conveyance in Rockland County requires a TP-584 Combined Real Estate Transfer Tax Return and an RP-5217 Real Property Transfer Report. The state transfer tax is $2 per $500 of consideration for transactions over $500. The Mansion Tax adds 1% on residential sales of $1 million or more. The RP-5217 filing fee is $125 for residential or farm property and $250 for all other types.

Mortgage recording tax is due when filing a mortgage. The state rate is $0.50 per $100 of mortgage debt. Rockland County may impose additional local mortgage recording taxes. The MCTD surcharge also applies. Form MT-15 must accompany the recorded mortgage with the tax calculation. Failure to pay the correct amount can result in rejection of the document for recording.

Accessing Rockland County Property Records

Property records in Rockland County are public under the Freedom of Information Law. FOIL gives the public access to assessment records, tax maps, and recorded documents. Agencies must respond to written requests within five business days. Copy fees under FOIL cannot exceed 25 cents per page. The County Clerk charges $1 per page for regular copies and $5 per document for certified copies.

The eCourts system provides access to court records related to property, including foreclosure proceedings and judgment liens filed in Supreme Court. Surrogate's Court handles probate matters involving property transfers through estates. The Statewide Parcel Map Program provides parcel data that can supplement local records research. The STAR program offers school tax relief for qualifying homeowners in Rockland County.

Property Tax Exemptions

Several property tax exemptions apply to qualifying properties in Rockland County under Real Property Tax Law Article 4. These include STAR (school tax relief for primary residences), veteran exemptions, senior citizen exemptions, disability exemptions, and agricultural exemptions. Most applications must be filed with the local assessor by March 1 each year. The assessment roll shows which exemptions apply to each parcel.

New homeowners should register for STAR with the Department of Taxation and Finance as soon as the home becomes their primary residence. The Tax Department issues STAR credit payments before school tax bills are due. Enhanced STAR is for owners age 65 and older with income below the statutory limit. The department now automatically upgrades eligible Basic STAR recipients to Enhanced STAR when they turn 65.

Cities and Towns in Rockland County

Rockland County includes several large towns. Property records for all municipalities are filed with the Rockland County Clerk.

Nearby Counties

Property records in neighboring counties are maintained by their own County Clerks.