More than 9,700 documents were filed in the Carbon County Recorder of Deeds office in 2023, according to an annual statistical report released by Donna L. Gentile, the current officeholder.

As a result of the department’s activities last year, the recorder collected and remitted $8,647,678.19 in revenues, comprising of $5,151,570.81 in e-recordings and $3,496.107.38 in paper recordings.

The total revenue collected was disbursed as follows: Carbon County, $492,601.75: municipalities, $1,971,876.55: school districts, $1,971,879.38; state realty tax, $3,942,928.01: other state taxes, $268,392.50.

Breakdown of filings

A breakdown of the document filings included: assignments of mortgage, 385; action to quiet title, 1; agreements of sale, 2; assignments of rents and leases, 163; assumption agreements, 4; deeds, 2,864; deeds, time share, 137; easements, 67; elected official commissions, 4; elected official bond securities, 2; financing statements, UCC-I, 70; financing statements, UCC-3, 26; highway occupancy permit, 1; lease agreements, 11; mortgages, 2,134; mortgage amendments, 7; highway map, 1; post construction maps, 2; subdivision maps, 60; survey maps, 3; miscellaneous, 56; miscellaneous - no parcel, 2; modification agreements, 74; notary commissions, 69; notice of assessment, 1; orders of court, 21; powers of attorney, 246; preferential assessment applications, 58; preferential assessment breach, 1; releases of mortgage, 50; satisfactions of mortgage, 1,974; soldiers’ discharges, 16; subordinations of mortgages, 3; terminations of rents and leases, 110; and data processing filings, 1,122.

In all, the office received and filed 9,747 documents.

County revenue

Gentile said the office collected $337,364 in recording fees, which were turned over on a monthly basis to the Carbon County General Fund. Other revenue derived from the Recorder of Deeds’ office last year included: commission on local realty taxes, $78,875.11; commission on state realty taxes, $39,429.33; Affordable Housing administrative fee, $15,106.20; data processing fees, $9,739.50; and commission earned on state writs and UCC statements, $149.36. The total revenue the county received from recordings and commissions listed above was $480,663.50.

Gentile said some filings throughout the year also resulted in special funds amounting to $128,684.30. This included$85,664.30 generated to assist the county in its Affordable Housing (rehabilitation) program; $17,208 received and deposited in the County Records Improvement Fund and $25,812 that was added to the Recorder of Deeds Improvement Fund.

In addition, the county received $33,499.11 from other services provided by the recorder’s office, including $9,589.50 copies; $150 in certifications of copies; $1,555 in rejection fees; $21,885.36 in remote access fees; and $319.25 in miscellaneous recording fees.

Transfer taxes

As part of the real estate recording process, the recorder’s office also collected $4,436,520.57 in transfer taxes for area school districts and municipalities. Accordingly, in 2023, Gentile distributed those funds to the following:

School districts - Jim Thorpe Area School District, $946,749.50; Lehighton Area School District, $313,403.62; Palmerton Area School District, $249,748.4; Panther Valley School District, $153,816.35; Weatherly Area School District, $279,838.65; and Hazleton Area School District, $28,322.79

Municipalities - Banks Township, $15,493.85; Bowmanstown Borough, $16,446.21; East Penn Township, $33,550.43; East Side Borough, $3,487; Franklin Township, $83,860.43; Jim Thorpe Borough, $70,436.70; Kidder Township North, $173,492.29; Kidder Township South, $315,258.42; Lansford Borough, $64,560.98; Lausanne Township, $7,183.46; Lehigh Township, $5,705.03; Lehighton Borough, $76,605.27; Lower Towamensing Township, $68,393.29; Mahoning Township, $107,584.80; Nesquehoning Borough, $52,448.55; Packer Township, $11,800.84; Palmerton Borough, $82,960.54; Penn Forest Township, $561,052.47; Parryville Borough, $6,663.41; Summit Hill Borough, $36,806.75; Towamensing Township, $81,948.33; Weatherly, $78,169.45; and Weissport Borough, $5,139.14.

State proceeds

Gentile remitted $4,222,902.01 to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which included $3,954,428.01 in realty transfer taxes, $263,495.50 in JCS/Access to Justice funds, $4,288.50 in writ taxes and $690 in notary writ taxes.