Union County, NJ – Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi reports that revenues for property recordings by her office totaled $44.29 million in 2017, a 10 percent increase over 2016 and the highest since the global financial crash of 2008.
Passport volume and business activities also continued to increase in 2017. Revenues from this division reached the highest in the history of the office with a total of $763, 237.
“The 2016 total was $40.44 million for property recordings, and that was our previous post-crash high,” said Ms. Rajoppi. “The increase to $44.29 million in 2017 represents more evidence that economic activity in Union County continues to strengthen and that recovery from the 2008 downturn is almost complete.”
Revenues from property transactions peaked just before the crash, at $48 million in 2006, before falling to $45 million in 2007 and $38 million in 2008. In the years immediately following, revenues were in the $23 million range.
Ms. Rajoppi noted that for the third year in a row, revenue from foreclosures declined.
“That is one area in which a downward trend is welcome news,” said Ms. Rajoppi. “In 2016 there were 1,881 foreclosure filings in Union County, and that figure dropped to 1,490 in 2017.”
Ms. Rajoppi noted that although activity in her office has increased in recent years, all documents are recorded on the same day they are submitted.
“Our experienced staff is dedicated to excellence in service, and our e-recording platform provides convenient 24/7 accessibility,” said Ms. Rajoppi. “Approximately 12 percent of all documents are now recorded electronically.
In addition to increasing efficiency, e-recording eliminates paper and helps conserve resources.
In 2016 the office of the Union County Clerk was one of only five counties out of 1,200 eligible counties nationally to receive the National 2016 e-Recording All-Star Trailblazer Award for demonstrating leadership in the use of electronic recording technology.
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