Westchester County Property Search
Westchester County property records involve real property or real estate records about land and any property directly attached to the land within the judicial district of Westchester County. Westchester property search provides access to public property data for members of the general public or those looking to buy a home. These documents, which are filed by individuals residing in the county, and recorded by the Land Records Division of the Westchester County Clerk's Office, provide legal information describing the location, attributes, and ownership of the property. To determine whether the owner possesses the property free and clear of any drawbacks such as unpaid debts or zoning violations, doing a property search involves looking through many documents, including deeds, contracts, and other recorded papers. The necessity of performing a property search is as follows:
- The results of the property record search will confirm whether the sellers of a property are the true landowners.
- In order to further explore a property, an inquirer can use a property search to learn how many times it has undergone transfers and whether it has had multiple owners over a certain length of time.
- A person can use property searches to find out if the property still has any other owners.
- The legal description of the property can be verified using a property search. In order to prevent any problems from arising in the future, one can verify that the description provided in the agreement matches the one registered.
- A property search enables a person to learn if the property has any registered restrictions. It prevents a potential buyer from infringing on any restrictions protecting such properties. For instance, it may not be possible to renovate certain elements of a house with historical significance.
All documentation relating to property transactions that take place in the County of Westchester is recorded, maintained, and dispensed by the Land Records Division of the Office of the Westchester County Clerk. Residents of Westchester County are required to submit their deeds for recording using the Property Records Electronic System (PREP). A deed must be presented with correctly filled-out forms on PREP in order to be accepted for recording in the Westchester County Clerk's office.
Are Westchester County Property Records Public?
Yes. With few limitations, the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), Article 6 (Sections 84–90) of the New York State Public Officers Law provides the general public with access to data kept by governmental entities. According to this law, every agency must make all Westchester County Public Records available for public inspection and copying in accordance with its published rules, with the exception of any documents or portions of records that may be withheld in accordance with the exceptions to the right of access provided in this subdivision. Hence, the Office of the Westchester County Clerk, which is a public agency, is required by law to release property records to members of the public who may inquire for it. However, property record information may be considered private or restricted from public disclosure under the following circumstances:
- If a state or federal law specifically prohibits the dissemination of the record
- If the released record would be considered an unreasonable violation of a person's right to privacy under the terms of section 81.9 subdivision 2 of the FOIL article
- If the revealed information could harm current or upcoming contract awards or discussions for collective bargaining
- If the revealed information poses a risk to anyone's life or safety, amongst others.
What Do Westchester County Property Records Contain?
The data included in a Westchester property record differs depending on the kind of document and the agency in charge of maintaining and disseminating it. Property records from the Westchester county clerk's office possesses the following information:
- Deed: This is a document that is legally used to transfer an interest in real estate or other types of property. Information which can be found in a deed include:
- Name of current property owner
- The name of the company or individual receiving the property
- The property's legal description
- Official property address
- Mortgage: Information which can be found in a mortgage record include:
- Mortgagor
- Mortgagee
- Date of mortgage
- Date of maturity
- Value estimated for the property
- The principal loan amount
- The mortgage tax paid
- Liens: Information in a lien record includes:
- Name of lienor
- Name of lien holder
- Name and address of releasor
- Date of release
- Witness signatory
- Property title: This describes a property's legal state and relevant ownership details. Information which can be found in a property title includes:
- Details on the county where the property is situated
- Value of the property
- Zoning laws
- Most up-to-date tax information
- Chain of ownership
- Open or unreleased mortgages
- legal and comprehensive description of the property
Other components of a property record includes details on sales and transfer, homestead designation, deeds of trust, warranty deeds, oil and gas leases, bills of sale, deed restrictions, powers of attorney, releases, and many other documents are among the property records.
Where to Perform a Westchester County Property Lookup
All documents relating to property activities that transpire and take place in the County of Westchester are recorded by the Land Records Division of the Office of the Westchester County Clerk. A person may view land records, including deeds from as long back as 1680 and mortgages from as far back as 1950. The following means exist for the general public to lookup the documents stored in this office:
- Online: Individuals may lookup property records in Westchester county by making use of the public online property record search service provided by the County Clerk's office website. Individuals may search for a property record online by:
- Name: Each document that is kept is indexed by the names of the parties. This name indexing for more recent papers is done electronically. On the other hand, for older texts, this naming indexing is found in enormous index books that may be accessed online. To search by name, enter the required name in the search box provided and click on the search icon to retrieve the property record being sought.
- Number: A number is assigned to each document that is recorded. Recent papers are electronically arranged by assigning them a control number. However, in big numbered books known as libers, the page number can be used to locate older documents. Select the "Search by Number" tab, enter the necessary number, then press "search" to conduct a number search.
- Date Range: Click the "plus" sign to the left of "Search a particular date range" and then input a start date and an end date before selecting "Search" in order to search a specific date range. The maximum number of search results that can be shown at once is 500.
- In Person Request: An individual may visit the county clerk's office in person in order to lookup a property record in Westchester county. The free public viewing terminals can be used to check whether a land document is stored at the county clerk's office and to examine the image of the document itself. The Westchester County Clerk's office is located at:
110 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Room 345,
White Plains. - Request by Mail: Members of the public may request a property document by mail for a fee of $5.00 per item requested plus a copy fee of $1.30 for up to two pages and an additional 65 cents for each additional page with the use of a check made out to "Westchester County Clerk". The following information is required to be included in the mail along with a self-addressed stamped envelope in which the document may be returned:
- Name of document, i.e deed
- Property owner's name
- Address of the property including town, City or village
- Approximate transaction date
- Liber and page number
- Control number (if known)
Furthermore, the Local Tax Assessors Office is where interested parties can get public property records which involves data on property taxes.
How to Perform a Property Owner Lookup in Westchester County
It is possible for members of the public to obtain property ownership information in Westchester County. This may be done by contacting the local Tax Assessor where the property is located in order to obtain the name of the property owner.
Property ownership information may also be obtained in person at the Westchester County Clerk office. The county clerk's office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday with the exception of legal holidays.
How to Find Westchester County Property Records Online
Millions of land and legal records are kept in the Office of the Westchester County Clerk, and many of them can be accessed online from a person's home or place of business. Typically, members of the public are encouraged to begin their property records search using the provided online index search to determine whether the property record being sought out is filled in the office. Online searches can be done by the property owner's name, document number or date range. Individuals seeking Westchester property records online are required to provide the necessary information based on whichever search parameters are used.
How to Find Property Owner by Address Free
Members of the public may find property owners by address at no cost through the use of online search services provided by local assessors in Westchester county. An individual who wishes to find a property owner by address for free may do so by making use of the Westchester Geographic information systems. This is achieved by clicking on the town/municipality links, which will lead the enquirer to the page where free online property searches can be made by address. By typing in the address and clicking on the search button, details about a property owner may be obtained at no cost. However, only some municipalities have information on property owners on this website.
Westchester County Property Tax Lookup
The Westchester County Tax Commission is responsible to provide expert services to county property owners and municipal and county. Inquiries about real property taxes are sent to this office, which also provides responses that cover enquiries on real property tax rules, exemptions, and county property taxes, among other things. Additionally, they provide the general public with access to past property tax rates, equalization rates, residential assessment ratios, county property tax payment dates, and other tools for property taxpayers. The Westchester County tax commission may be contacted via phone, mail or fax at:
Westchester County Tax Commission
110 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Room L-221
White Plains, NY 10601
Tel: (914) 995-4325
Fax: (914) 995-4333
They may also be contacted via email at vlm2@westchestergov.com
A tax lookup is necessary when a real property is being considered for a purchase.
How to Find Westchester County Property Appraiser
Individuals seeking a Westchester County property appraiser may find one on the New York Real Estate Appraisers Website. A New York real estate appraiser who has a current, valid certificate issued for either general or residential real estate prepares and communicates real estate appraisal. Open NY provides an updated list of licensed real estate appraisers in the state of New York. Estimates of value for residential single-family homes, condos, and townhouses can be obtained from a qualified and trained appraiser. Property appraisers can perform the appraisal for a property listing, before or after a sale, and they can do so for both new construction and existing residences. They professionally advise clients on the price per square foot for homes in a region using data they collect from the local MLS (Multiple Listing Service) on sales and listings. They can also assess whether pending foreclosures, REOs, or other short sales in Westchester County have any impact on a home's value.
Westchester County Property Assessor
Assessor's offices in Westchester County are run by the various towns and cities under the county's jurisdiction. Every year, the Assessor's Department creates an assessment roll of all real estate in the city or town in Westchester county, both vacant and improved, detailing its condition, market worth, and taxable status. The amount of City County, School/Library, and Special District taxes to be collected on each lot is divided based on the assessments established by the Assessor. Others services offered by the Assessors' office in Westchester county include:
- Ownership information maintenance
- Recording and maintaining all deed transfers and property sales
- Updating and inputting building and parcel inventory data on a computer
- Offering assistance in the defense of legal action through grievance, and small claims hearings.
- Putting into effect all full and partial property tax exemptions
By visiting the assessment page of the municipal website where the property is located, then locating and clicking on the link for the assessment roll, anyone can verify their property assessment at any time, as well as other information on the assessment roll. Assessor's offices in Westchester County can be contacted via mail, phone call, email, or visiting in person.
