Richmond County is also known as Staten Island. The County Clerk's office is located in the Richmond County Courthouse, 350 St. Mark's Place. The best and most fun way to get there is to take the Staten Island ferry from the Battery in lower Manhattan. As you exit the terminal, the courthouse is the large government building to your right. The courthouse can be entered from the rear steps. The clerk's office record room is located in room 107.
Richmond County land records are not indexed on the Fairtax System. To search land records, start with the alphabetical printouts of records which start in October of 1986. These books are indexed by grantor/grantee, mortgagor/ mortgagee. Before October of 1986, land records are indexed by block and lot. The clerk has a computer to transform an address into a block and lot. After you have your block and lot, check the block & lot index books. For example, if the block number is 567 choose the index book that includes block number 567. In this same index book find the section with your lot number and, once found, check this section for the subject's name alphabetically [last name first]. When a search is successful copy down the liber and page numbers. Next, go to the Deed and/or Mortgage libers and choose the corresponding liber number. The liber numbers are printed on the binder of each book. Turn to the page number and you will have a true photocopy of the original deed or mortgage.
To search a a name in the UCC's, ask an employee for most current UCC liber. Search alphabetically by last name. Previous UCC libers are located under the information desk. To search a name in the PVB index, search by last name. The alphabetical index is near the door. These are the same books found in the other boroughs.
To search judgment records, check the judgment computer. Instructions for use of this system are located in Chapter Two, "Filing Systems". In Richmond County, Federal Tax Liens are kept on the judgment computer. Searches before 1987 must be done by checking full name in the judgment libers. These libers have a book for each letter of the alphabet.
To search litigation records, searches from 1988 may be done by computers. Instructions for use of this system are located in Chapter Two, "Filing Systems". Searches before 1988 must be done by checking full name in the litigation books. These books are kept in year order and are across from the computer.
Certificates of Incorporation searches can be done by searching the business computer. All forms of business records from 1993 are on this system. Instructions for use of this system are located in Chapter Two, "Filing Systems". Before 1993, you must search the business index or the corporate record index. These are kept in year order and the names are listed alphabetically. Business Record Searches are done in the Assumed Business Name books, which are kept in year order. The names are set forth alphabetically.
The Richmond County Surrogate's Court is in the same building but upstairs. The Clerk's office is in room 201. To search estate records, check the alphabetical index. Once you find the file you want, request the file from the clerk.
The Richmond County Board of Elections is located at 1 Edgewater Plaza.
Copyright © Reyn Inc. And Fred D. Knapp