Total for 2021 is highest in Union County History.
Union County, NJ – Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi reports that revenues for property recordings by her office reached a historic high, totaling $75 million for 2021. In addition, revenues from other services totaled more than $651,000.
“The figure of $75 million for 2021 is a significant increase over 2020, when property transaction revenues were $48.6 million. The total for last year is far higher than in any year I have seen in the past 36 years, indicating a robust environment for economic activity in Union County” said Ms. Rajoppi. “Low interest rates and movement from cities to the suburbs have spurred the trend.”
Ms. Rajoppi was first elected to the office of County Clerk in 1995, having previously served as Union County Register of Deeds and Mortgages beginning in 1985.
In addition to administering fees for property transactions, the office of the Union County Clerk is responsible for the administration of passport applications, notaries public certification, and business trade name registrations. The 2021 total of $651,767 in revenue for these services was more than double the $310,097 collected in 2020, when the initial COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns were in force.
Due to a suspension of passport services by the US Department of State during part of 2021, the total of $651,767 was lower than the pre-pandemic peak of $850,623 in 2019.
Revenues from property transactions often reflect broader economic trends. In Union County, they previously peaked in the years leading up to the global financial crash of 2008. Revenues from property transactions stood at $48 million in 2006, fell to $45 million in 2007, and fell again in 2008, to $38 million. For several years following the crash, property revenues stayed in the range of $23 to $30 million.
For more information about all County Clerk programs and services, visit online at ucnj.org/county-clerk or call 908-527-4787.
For information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including free vaccination, free testing, emergency food distribution and other support services, visit ucnj.org/covid19. General information about COVID-19 is available through the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health.
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