Register of Wills reports on 2015 activity in Carbon

The Carbon County Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court, Judy F. Moon, has announced the following activity for 2015:

Acting as an agent for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Revenue, for the collection of inheritance taxes, the register accepted 498 payments amounting to $2,979,999.32. The commission on that amount totaled $32,900.07, which was transferred to the Carbon County General Fund.

Besides the inheritance tax collections, total fees collected by the register's office in 2015 amounted to $143,985.42. This included state taxes, JCP fees and automation fees.

A total of $12,718 was dispersed to the State Tax office for Judicial fees, $6,867.50 was collected for the Pennsylvania State and Trust Fund, $8,932.50 was given to the county for data processing fees, $8.95 represented interest income, and $3,900 was collected in automation fees.

The register's office opened 299 estates for the probation of wills and administration, as well as 10 small estate petitions and seven small estate affidavits, as well as numerous Orphans' Court petitions.

In genealogy research and family heritage information, office personnel handled 11 inquires by mail, with seven results; 94 by telephone, including 65 favorable results; 32 by email, resulting in 53 requests; six by fax, resulting in three searches; and personally assisted 32 genealogists who visited the office throughout the year with 317 requests, which amounts to approximately 48 hours of personal research assistance.

In other assignments, the office staff completed scanning all estates and incapacitations for the current year. Additionally, current and older marriage license information has been indexed into the computer, completing records back to and including 1954.

The office distributed $16,750 in marriage license fees; issued 335 marriage licenses; handled two guardianships of minors, four miscellaneous petitions and orders and 65 citations. Processed were 11 petitions for adoptions, six petitions to confirm consent, one voluntary termination proceeding, eight involuntary termination proceedings, 13 incapacitations and two emergency incapacitation petitions. Filed were 18 accounts for court adjudication, 61 family settlements, 25 informal accounts with 47 first and final accounts, 20 final decrees confirming accounts, one first and partial account, 413 receipt and releases, 866 certificates of marriage, along with certifications of application: one stipulation, two petitions for adjudication, 25 exemplification of record, three subpoenas and 36 applications/referrals for birth and death records.

The office disposed 380 estates, nine adoptions, eight involuntary terminations, two voluntary terminations, 13 incapacitations, four miscellaneous cases and 333 marriage licenses for a total of 749 disposed cases.