Carbon County Court news

Revenue from deeds

Carbon County Recorder of Deeds Emmett P. McCall reported his office recorded 231 deeds, 238 mortgages and 409 other writs during the month of December.

As a result of those transactions, McCall turned over to the Carbon County General Fund the sum of $35,742.99. A breakdown of that revenue includes: transfer fees, $27,631; data processing fees, $1,975.05; notaries, $10; commission on transfers and writs, $4,507.14: and Affordable Housing administrative fee, $1,219.80.

McCall remitted $439 in state writ taxes to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, while Carbon County municipalities and school districts shared realty transfer tax disbursements totaling $223,183.92, the same amount that was forwarded to the state in realty transfer taxes.

McCall deposited $2,640 in the Recorder of Deeds Record Improvement Fund and $1,760 in the Carbon County Records Improvement Fund, these being fees assessed by state law on each transaction for records management needs. An additional $18,800 was collected and remitted to the state for its Judicial Computer System program.

Also, $6,912.20 was collected last month for the Affordable Housing Program in Carbon County.

In all, funds collected in the Recorder's office last month amounted to $512,262.03.

Deeds recorded

Franklin Township

James C. Greenfield to Susan L. Greenfield, 705 Mill Run Drive, Lehighton, two transactions, Saw Mill Run Lot 58, Section 5, and property at 705 Mill Run Drive, $1 each.

Lansford

Tax Claim Bureau of Carbon County to Citi Investments, Inc., Easton, property at 321 E. Abbott St., $65,731.63.

Tax Claim Bureau of Carbon County to Sophia Morris Alston, 109 Terrace Drive, Saylorsburg, property at 3 E. Bertsch St., $110,675.

Tax Claim Bureau of Carbon County to James Luckenbaugh, 195 Pine Drive, Lehighton, property at 307 E. Abbott St., $25,863.

Penn Forest Township

Tax Claim Bureau of Carbon County to Jim Thorpe National Bank, 12 Broadway, Jim Thorpe, property at 33 Lucretius Trail, Albrightsville, $61,745.

Joseph DiGirolamo to John J. Hupchick, Glen Mills, Pa., property at 13 Bradstreet Circle, Albrightsville, $205,000.

Prothonotary's report

A total of 340 cases were started in December in the office of Carbon County Prothonotary Joann M. Behrens, according to a monthly statistical report released by the officeholder. A breakdown of the cases is as follows:

Civil actions, 40; custody complaints, 27; district justice appeals, 5; divorce complaints,16; ejectment suits, 3; license appeals, 2; mortgage foreclosure complaints, 46; miscellaneous, 4; protection from abuse, 38; quiet title actions,13; court appointments, 2; judgments,143; and stipulation/waiver of liens, 1. The office staff also received and processed 60 applications for U.S. Passports.

Behrens' financial report shows $32,563.33 was generated as follows: prothonotary's fees, $26,901.19; interest income, $12.56; PFA Surcharge, courts, $190.80, PFA Surcharge, Sheriff, $180; custody fees, $750; and data processing fees, $4,528.78.

The prothonotary also remitted $4,507.27 to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Revenue, representing state fees collected locally, and $102 to the Administrative Offices of the Pennsylvania Courts, this being surcharges on new custody cases in accordance with Act 119 of 1996. Another $1,130.33 was deposited in the Prothonotary's Automation Fund for future use in automating the office.