Carbon County Court news

Prothonotary's report

A total of 318 cases were started in April in the office of Carbon County Prothonotary Joann M. Behrens, according to a monthly statistical report. A breakdown of the cases is as follows:

Civil actions, 28; custody complaints, 23; district justice appeals, 8; declaratory judgment, 1; divorce complaints,15; complaints in ejectment, 5; license appeals, 3; mortgage foreclosure complaints, 30; name change petition, 1; protection from abuse petitions, 24; tax sales, 4; auditor/financial report, 1; judgments, 167; miscellaneous cases, 4; and stipulations/waivers of liens, 4. The office staff also received and processed 100 applications for U.S. passports.

Behrens' financial report shows $35,437.68 was generated as follows: prothonotary's fees, $29,691.75; interest income, $3.43; custody fee, $750; data processing, $4,792.50; PFA surcharge, courts, $75; PFA surcharge, sheriff, $125.

The prothonotary also remitted $3,711.36 to the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Revenue, representing state fees collected locally, and $132 to the administrative offices of the Pennsylvania courts, this being surcharges on new custody cases in accordance with Act 119 of 1996. Another $1,379.86 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 178 deeds, 176 mortgages and 287 other writs during the month of April.

As a result of those transactions, McCall turned over to the Carbon County General Fund the sum of $23,197.74. A breakdown of that revenue includes: transfer fees, $18,535.50; data processing fees, $1,794.75; notaries, $70; commission on transfers and writs, $1,960.49; and Affordable Housing administrative fee, $837.

McCall remitted $320.50 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 $97,438.05, the same amount that was forwarded to the state in realty transfer taxes.

McCall deposited $1,914 in the recorder of deeds record improvement fund and $1,276 in the Carbon County records improvement fund, these being fees assessed by state law on each transaction for records management needs. An additional $13,794.50 was collected and remitted to the state for its judicial computer system program.

Also, $4,743 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 $240,121.84.

Deeds recorded

Penn Forest Township

Joseph D. Scott to Arthur Management, Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y., Lot 401, Section J, Indian Mountain Lakes, $7,500.

Dennis Ernest Switaj to Christopher John Zacker, Emmaus, Lot 6, Section E, Indian Trail Area, Bear Creek Lakes, $180,000.

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation to Agnieszka Uzar, 303 Brittany Drive, Albrightsville, property at 2003 State Route 534, aka 1983 Route 534, Albrightsville, $38,000.

Federal National Mortgage Association to Antonio Mangino, New Hyde Park, N.Y., property at 217 Longfellow Circle, Albrightsville, $35,000.

National Loan Investors, L.P., to Anthony J. Taibi, 12 Jane Court, Albrightsville, property at 12 Jane Court, $149,900.

Brian J. Beekley to Mark F. Sheedy, Hatboro, property at 15 Jeffers Way, Albrightsville, $135,000.

Libor Sikora to Libor Sikora, Philadelphia, property at 20 Talbot Lane, Albrightsville, $10.