Prothonotary’s report

A total of 521 cases were started in August in the office of Carbon County Prothonotary Joann M. Behrens, according to a monthly statistical report released by the officeholder.

A breakdown of cases is as follows: civil actions, 44; custody complaints, 19; complaints to modify custody, 12; district justice appeals, 8; divorce complaints, 20; complaint in ejectment, 1; eminent domain/declarations of taking, 2; license appeals, 2; mortgage foreclosure complaints, 15; name change petitions, 2; protection from abuse petitions, 46; protection from sexually violent individual petitions, 2; zoning appeals, 2; judgments, 326; miscellaneous case, 1; stipulations/waivers of liens, 4; and writs of executions, 15. The office staff also processed 65 applications for U.S. passports and provided assistance to the public with 52 passport renewal applications.

Behrens’ financial report for August shows $40,500.35 was generated as follows: prothonotary’s fees, $32,588.10; interest income, $3.67; custody/divorce fees, $1,370; PFA Surcharge, Sheriff, $50; PFA Surcharge, Courts, $50; data processing fees, $6,380.08; stenographer fees, $58.50; and remote access fees, $1,200.

The prothonotary also remitted $5,583.62 to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Revenue, representing state fees collected locally, and $95.20 to the Administrative Offices of the Pennsylvania Courts, this being surcharges on new custody cases in accordance with Act 119 of 1996. Another $1,970 was deposited in the Prothonotary’s Automation Fund for future use in automating the office.

Revenue from deeds

Carbon County’s acting Recorder of Deeds Anita M. Dietrich reported her office recorded 246 deeds, 187 mortgages and 363 other writs during the month of August.

As a result of those transactions, Dietrich turned over to the Carbon County General Fund the sum of $36,510.58. A breakdown of that revenue includes: transfer fees, $28,640; data processing fees, $2,511.51; notaries, $20; commission on transfers and writs, $4,078.47; and Affordable Housing administrative fee, $1,260.60.

Dietrich remitted $398 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 $203,295.98, the same amount that was forwarded to the state in realty transfer taxes.

Dietrich deposited $2,397 in the Recorder of Deeds Record Improvement Fund and $1,598 in the Carbon County Records Improvement Fund, these being fees assessed by state law on each transaction for records management needs. An additional $29,624 was collected and remitted to the state for its Judicial Computer System program.

Also, $7,143.40 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 $484,262.94.