Goshen, New York
Take the Tappan Zee Bridge from all points east of the Hudson River. Stay on route 287 to route 87 [ New York Thruway ] until you reach exit 16 [ last exit before second toll ]. Follow signs for route 17 west to exit 124B. The exit is marked "Orange County Government Center". Once off the highway, turn right at the bottom of the exit, this will put you on Route 207. Follow Route 207 into the town of Goshen. The road becomes Main Street. The government center is located at 255-275 Main Street.
The government center is very large. The county clerk's office is located in room 207. As you enter, the offices surround a courtyard office. The Uniform Commercial Code office is the first one on the left. In order to search a name, just fill out an identification slip and the clerk will let you behind the counter to look at the files. The next counter down is the county clerk's filing section and cashier. The division of motor vehicles is up a few stairs directly across from the clerk's counter. All other documents are located in room 207.
As you enter room 207, the grantor-grantee indexes are located to the left on the first counter top. The mortgagor-mortgagee books are located on the other side of the room under the service counter. To search a name, you look up the name in the grantee index. The grantee is the person buying the property, the grantor is the person selling the property. If the name you are searching for appears as a grantor, then they have sold property, and if the name appears in the grantee index, they have bought the property. The mortgagor-mortgagee index is different. The bank or financial institution is the mortgagee, because they are giving someone money and receiving a mortgage. The person who bought the land is the mortgagor because they gave a mortgage to the lending institution. Once you find the name you are searching, the next step is to look at the actual documents. In the indexes, they will list liber and page numbers next to the name. The liber and page numbers refer to the book and page where you will find the actual documents. Mortgages in the mortgage libers, deeds in the deed libers. On the same counter top as the grantor-grantee indexes is the lis pendens indexes. These indexes are by year. On the wall behind the indexes are the books that contain the lis pendens documents.
On the first counter to the right are located the index to consolidated liens and the Federal Tax Lien indexes. On the next two counters are located the judgments and judgment dockets. On the wall next to the first counter are located the indexes to assumed business names and limited partnerships.
The Orange County Clerk has a new computer system for indexing Supreme Court records, judgments and lis pendens. This system started in August of 1993 and is explained in this chapter. All judgments since October of 1993 are also on this system. Before the computer went on-line, Supreme Court cases are indexed by year, The indexes are kept in the Supreme Court filing room off of room 207 (designated on floorplan). Case files can be viewed by going to the requisition clerk located down the stairs at the center of the room.
The indexes to corporate records and to limited partnerships are located under the service counter along the back wall on the right side of the room. Documents can be viewed downstairs at the requisition desk.
The Orange County Surrogate's Court is located in another building only a few blocks away. To get there, head down Main Street back towards the highway, but at the first fork in the road bear left. The Surrogate's Court is one block down past the Trotters Museum. The Surrogate's Court clerk is in the lobby as you enter the building. To search a name, check the indexes to the right. The indexes are alphabetical by year. Once you have located the name, request the file from the clerk at the counter.
The Orange County Board of Elections is located at 25 Court Lane, Goshen, New York.
Copyright © Reyn Inc. And Fred D. Knapp