Carbon County Court news
Prothonotary's report
A total of 474 cases were started in July 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, 69; custody complaints, 27; district justice appeals, 3; divorce complaints, 23; ejectments, 5; eminent domain/declaration of taking, 1; license appeals, 2; mortgage foreclosure complaints, 37; protection from abuse petitions, 46; quiet title action, 1; zoning appeal, 1; judgments, 242; miscellaneous, 4; and stipulations/waivers of liens, 13. The office staff also received and processed 167 applications for U.S. Passports.
Behrens' financial report shows $42,295.25 was generated as follows: prothonotary's fees, $34,937.83; interest income, $4.35; PFA Surcharge, courts, $25; PFA Surcharge, Sheriff, $25; custody fees, $500; data processing charges, $6,803.07.
The prothonotary also remitted $4,650.51 to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Revenue, representing state fees collected locally, and $84 to the Administrative Offices of the Pennsylvania Courts, this being surcharges on new custody cases in accordance with Act 119 of 1996. Another $1,934.33 was
deposited in the Prothonotary's Automation Fund for future use in automating the office.
Revenue from deeds
Carbon County Recorder of Deeds Emmett P. McCall reported his office recorded 190 deeds, 245 mortgages and 474 other writs during the month of July.
As a result of those transactions, McCall turned over to the Carbon County General Fund the sum of $32,216.81. A breakdown of that revenue includes: transfer fees, $24,809.50; data processing fees, $2,232.01; notaries, $130; commission on transfers and writs, $4,049; and Affordable Housing administrative fee, $996.30.
McCall remitted $454.50 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 $199,558.12, the same amount that was forwarded to the state in realty transfer taxes.
McCall deposited $2,703 in the Recorder of Deeds Record Improvement Fund and $1,802 in the Carbon County Records Improvement Fund, these being fees assessed by state law on each transaction for records management needs. An additional $19,763.50 was collected and remitted to the state for its Judicial Computer System program.
Also, $5,645.70 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 $461,701.75.
Deeds recorded
Penn Forest Township
Brian Q. Schwartz to Marcel Englemann, P.O. Box 56, Lake Harmony, property at 72 Saginaw Drive, $205,000.
Luis Ventura to Luis Ventura, 178 Wildcreek Drive, Jim Thorpe, property at 178 Windcreek Drive, $76,568.
DLJ Mortgage Capital, Inc., to Vincent J. DeCristoforo, Clark, N.J., property at 1906 Parker Trail, Albrightsville, $98,000.
Thomas Domanski to James Kita, Bailey, Colo., Pleasant Valley West Lot 593, Section F, $20,000.
Robert O. Blount to Patrick M. Rurange, Bala Cynwyd, Pa., property at 112 Chapman Circle, Albrightsville, $85,500.
James E. Harkness to James E. Harkness Jr., Lancaster, Pa., Lot 495, Section II, Towamensing Trails, $1.
Mitchell Ross to SRM Properties, LLC, 45 Highview Drive, Brodheadsville, Lot 504, Section N-I, Indian Mouontain Lakes, $5,000.
Deutsche Bank National Trust Company to William Womack, 15 Church Road, Jim Thorpe, property at 15 Church Road, $80,000.
