Carbon register of wills gives report for 2009
Carbon County Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court Judy F. Moon recently released data relating to the annual operations in that office.
Acting as an agent for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Revenue, for the collection of inheritance taxes, the register received $4,170,577.60 in 2009, compared to $2.5-million that was collected in 2008. The commission on the money, $38,324.63, was turned over to the Carbon County General Fund. In addition, other fees collected for 2009 totalled $129,548.35.
The register dispersed the following sums: $3,414.50 to the State Tax Office for Judicial Computer Fees; $7,277.50 to the Pa. State Tax and Trust Fund; $8,407.50 in data processing funds to the county; and $47.78 in interest income.
The office opened 383 estates for the probation of wills and administration and also handled numerous petitions for Orphans' Court. Genealogy research and family heritage information requests included 26 by mail, 128 by telephone, 12 by e-mail and 90 other requests for various types of information. Personal assistance was rendered to 95 genealogists who visited the office throughout the year.
Other work detail included scanning of all estates and incapacitations for the year and indexing an additional two years of marriage license information into the computer system, completing records back to June, 1961.
The office distributed $16,925 in marriage license fees; issued 355 marriage licenses; and handled three guardianship of minors cases, five miscellaneous orders and petitions, 14 petitions for adoptions, one voluntary termination proceeding, 10 involuntary termination proceedings, nine incapacitations, 14 accounts for court adjudication, 125 family settlements with first and final accounts, 386 releases, 67 receipt and releases, 113 receipt, release and refunding bonds, 347 certifications of marriage, 92 renunciations and 69 applications/referrals for birth and death certificates. A total of 718 cased were disposed.
