N.J. Stat. tit. 46, ch. 24

in effect

N.J. Stat. § 46:24-1 Board of commissioners of land records; appointment; vacancies; compensation

In every county of this State having more than two hundred thousand inhabitants, one hundred or more persons, being residents and freeholders of such county, may make application to the Superior Court, and such court may thereupon, in its discretion, proceed thereon and appoint, from the members of the board of chosen freeholders of such county for the time being, two commissioners, who, and their successors, together with the counsel of the board of chosen freeholders of such county, for the time being, shall constitute a board to be known as the board of commissioners of land records, and hereinafter designated as the commissioners, whose powers and duties shall be as prescribed by this chapter. Such board of commissioners shall continue in office for two years from the time of their appointment, and for such additional time as the Superior Court may, by order, direct and appoint. Vacancies in such board of commissioners shall be filled in the same manner as original appointments are herein required to be made. The commissioners shall receive for their services such compensation as the Superior Court shall determine. Amended by L.1953, c. 44, p. 825, s. 11, eff. March 19, 1953.

N.J. Stat. § 46:24-2 Powers of commissioners as to procuring maps and indexes and as to expenditures

If commissioners shall be appointed under section 46:24-1 of this Title, they may, in the name of the board of chosen freeholders of the county for which they shall be appointed, for the purpose of procuring and preparing the maps and indexes directed by this chapter to be procured and prepared, putting the same in use and otherwise carrying out the directions and intent of this chapter, hire rooms, purchase stationery and material and employ such surveyors, draughtsmen, or other persons as they may require for such purpose. The compensation for such labor and the cost of room rent, materials and work shall, from time to time, be certified by the commissioners to the Superior Court, and the judge of such court shall, if satisfied of the correctness of such expenditures, order the payment thereof by the board of chosen freeholders of such county, and the board shall order the county treasurer to pay the same out of such funds appropriated or to be appropriated for the maintenance of the courts and records of such county, or of any unexpended balance. The commissioners shall, as soon as they conveniently can after their appointment, submit to the board of chosen freeholders a statement of the probable cost and expense of procuring and preparing the required maps and indexes and putting the same in use. Amended by L.1953, c. 44, p. 826, s. 12, eff. March 19, 1953.

N.J. Stat. § 46:24-3 Access to public records and papers

The commissioners appointed under section 46:24-1 of this title shall, in the performance of their duties, have free access to all public records and papers in this state, and be permitted to examine and copy the same free of charge.

N.J. Stat. § 46:24-4 Map or plan of county; preparation and contents

The commissioners appointed under section 46:24-1 of this title shall, immediately upon entering upon their duties, cause to be prepared, under their direction by competent surveyors and draughtsmen, a map or plan of the county, on which map shall be shown and delineated all the streets, avenues, and roads of the county, and all blocks or parcels of land bounded by such streets, avenues and roads, and such present or former lines of large tracts of land or farms, or other general property lines and boundaries, as they, in their judgment may see fit. The commissioners shall cause the blocks or parcels of land shown on such map to be numbered thereon from number one consecutively upward for as many blocks or parcels of land bounded by streets, avenues, roads, streams, waterways, railroads or other boundaries as shall appear on such map. The numbers of the blocks shall commence at the southerly part of the county, and shall thence be continued northerly as nearly as may be. In case of small blocks or parcels, more than one such block of parcel of land may be included in a single block number, whenever, in the judgment of the commissioners, the same is advisable. The commissioners may cause the larger parcels of land to be dividend and numbered or designated on such map in such way as they may think best, in order to carry out the general intent of this chapter. The commissioners shall also cause such map to be subdivided into convenient land sections, and shall cause such sections to be named, or numbered from number one consecutively upward, and cause the division lines of such several sections to be exhibited on the map.

N.J. Stat. § 46:24-5 Maps marked as official land maps certified and filed; copies made and sold

The map mentioned in section 46:24-4 of this title shall, when completed, be marked as the official land map of such county and certified as such by the commissioners, and filed in the office of such county in which transfers of lands or deeds are recorded, as a public record. The commissioners shall cause such map to be copied in such manner and in such numbers as the public demand therefor shall warrant, and deliver such copies to the treasurer of such county, to be sold by him for the benefit of such county at such price per copy as the commissioners shall fix.

N.J. Stat. § 46:24-6 Subdivisions of numbered blocks shown of official land maps

Whenever, after the making of the land map in accordance with section 46:24-4 of this title, any large area or block division, or part thereof, on such map, shall be laid out by the owners thereof on a map filed in the county record office into blocks and lots with the streets or avenues shown thereon, dedicated to public use, and conveyances of lots shown thereon shall be made and recorded according to such map, the then recording officer and counsel of the board of chosen freeholders of such county shall cause such new blocks to be numbered consecutively upward from the last number then upon such land map, or cause such new blocks to be designated in some other convenient way, and shall cause a map, showing such new blocks and their designations, to be filed in the same manner as the previous land maps, and the block number headings of such subdivided block shall be marked as "subdivided" , and reference made at such heading to the new blocks created therefrom. The land blocks and sections, and the numbers and designations thereof, shall not be changed after they have been once designated and entered on such maps, except as herein provided.

N.J. Stat. § 46:24-7 Local or block indexes; preparation, form and contents

The commissioners appointed under section 46:24-1 of this title shall cause to be prepared, in book form, indexes for indexing instruments affecting land in such counties, recorded or registered in the record offices mentioned in section 46:24-5 of this title, on and after the date fixed by section 46:24-10 of this title for the completion of such land maps and indexes, which indexes shall be prepared for use in accordance with the plan or system known as that of local indexing by blocks, and under the blocks and block numbers shown on such map, and the areas, numbers and descriptions of the blocks shown on such map. The indexes so to be prepared shall be both nominal and local, and in form substantially the same as the form of the schedule hereto annexed, which schedule shall be deemed and taken to be a part of this chapter. There shall be appropriated in each index to each block or parcel of land shown thereon not less than eight blank pages, including the heading of such index, which pages shall be properly ruled and prepared for future entries therein according to the plans of the schedule above referred to. The abbreviated description of the land affected by the instrument to be entered in the space allotted therefor in such index shall be as full as can be entered in such space, and serve to show the correctness of such entry under such block or area; but no liability shall attach to any recording officer for any error in making up such brief description. The commissioners may cause separate and distinct local indexes to be made for entering together mortgages, notices of lis pendens and other liens, and other instruments relating thereto. The county recording officer of any such county may, whenever the local indexes to be prepared by the commissioners become filled with entries, continue the same separated as above; and such officer, in order to fully utilize such local indexes, shall, whenever the entries under a block shall have consumed the space appropriated thereto, and other block areas shall have comparatively few entries credited thereto, carry forward such entries from the first named block, by proper foot-marks and references, to the nearest of the sparsely filled spaces, until such process shall be no longer feasible, upon which such recording officer shall make requisition to the board of chosen freeholders for, and said board of such county shall thereupon provide, such additional indexes of like character for the continuation of the same as may be necessary; and whenever the combination or analytical nominal index mentioned in section 46:20-5 of this title shall be required the same shall be provided in like manner. PLEASE PHOTOCOPY INSERTION

N.J. Stat. § 46:24-8 Form and size of local block indexes; indorsements thereon

The books of indexes referred to in section 46:24-7 of this title shall be made on such convenient form and size as the commissioners shall determine, and each book of indexes shall be indorsed with its appropriate title and volume, with the date of its commencement, and with the numbers of the blocks on the land map and the section to which the entries therein relate.

N.J. Stat. § 46:24-9 Subindexes

In counties adopting local indexes under this chapter, the commissioners, or the county recording officers, after the term of office of the commissioners shall have expired, shall establish such subindexes as circumstances may warrant, in which shall be indexed every duly recorded or registered instrument, which, in its language, is general or vague as to the lands affected thereby, or that, for other reasons, cannot be safely and conveniently entered on the local index. Such subindex, and the methods so substituted and put into operation in such recording offices, shall be of the same force and effect as any other method authorized by this chapter.

N.J. Stat. § 46:24-10 Time for completion of maps and indexes

The maps and indexes required by this chapter shall be completed and placed in the proper offices for public use on the first day of January next after the appointment of the commissioners under section 46:24-1 of this Title, unless further time shall be required for the completion thereof; and, if it shall be so represented to the Superior Court by the commissioners, the court shall, by order, extend the time for the completion thereof, and such notice of such order shall be given as the court shall direct. Amended by L.1953, c. 44, p. 827, s. 13, eff. March 19, 1953.

N.J. Stat. § 46:24-11 Numbering and indexing maps in counties having block indexes; changes therein

The commissioners of land records appointed under the provisions of the act entitled "An act to establish the use of local indexes for public records relating to land in certain counties in this state," approved March twenty-ninth, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight (L.1888, c. 222, p. 309), or the commissioners appointed under section 46:24-1 of this title, may establish such index of maps on file or to be filed in the office of the county recording officer of any county for which such commissioners shall have been or shall be appointed, as they deem proper; and the number or designation in such index given to every such filed map by such commissioners shall not thereafter be changed or altered, and such system of map indexing, so established by such commissioners, shall thereafter be continued by the county recording officer of such county, and all maps thereafter filed shall be numbered consecutively in the order of their receipt, commencing with the number next after the latest number adopted or given by such commissioners in the index so established.

N.J. Stat. § 46:24-12 Nominal combination and analytical indexes; use; fees

If commissioners shall be appointed under section 46:24-1 of this title in any county, all nominal indexes in use in the county recording office of such county shall be continued as before, and every combination or analytical nominal index theretofore in use in such office shall be continued under the direction of such commissioners, to the time of the commencement of the local indexes mentioned in section 46:24-7 of this title, and thereafter the same last named nominal indexes shall be continued in lieu of all other nominal indexes of such instruments by the county recording officer of any such county, and the fees for such indexing authorized by law shall be paid to such recording officer.

N.J. Stat. § 46:24-13 Entries in local or block indexes; maps, books and records public records; time for completion, certification and deposit

All instruments in writing affecting land, in any county wherein local or block indexes shall be adopted as set forth in section 46:24-7 of this title, or any interest in such land, recorded, registered or entered by virtue of and in accordance with any law of this state in any public land office, shall, on and after the date fixed by section 46:24-10 of this title for the completion of the maps and indexes provided for by this chapter, be entered in plain, legible handwriting in such indexes, as provided by this chapter, in addition to such nominal indexes as are now used and directed by this chapter to be kept in such offices. All maps, books, and indexes, and the entries therein and the contents thereof, at any time to be made or prepared under this chapter, shall be public records, and all of such maps, books and indexes shall be completed, certified and deposited for use as aforesaid in such offices at the time prescribed by section 46:24-10 of this title.

N.J. Stat. § 46:24-14 Entries on record or registry of instruments indexed in local indexes

For the purpose of ready reference to the local indexes in counties adopting local indexes, and the discovery of errors of entry therein, every deed, mortgage or other instrument so entered shall have the block number or numbers under which the same is indexed noted on the margin at the commencement of the record or registry thereof. The book and page of the record of every assignment of mortgage, and all releases, satisfactions and agreements respecting mortgages shall be noted on the margin of the record of the mortgage to which the same shall refer, and such release, assignment or other instrument shall thereupon be considered as fully entered in the local indexes. Every satisfaction or cancellation of a mortgage, however, shall, in addition to the entry required by law on the record thereof, be also noted in red ink on the local index entry of such mortgage.

N.J. Stat. § 46:24-15 Order and time of entry of instruments in local or block indexes

The county recording officer of any county in which local or block indexes shall be adopted shall enter every instrument received by him for record or registration on the local index in his office, in the order of its receipt by him, under the block within which the land affected lies, in the manner provided by this chapter, or under which such instrument is directed to be indexed, within three days after such receipt.

N.J. Stat. § 46:24-16 Liability of county recording officer for errors or omissions

The county recording officer of any county in which local or block indexes shall be adopted shall be liable for any loss or damage to any person interested, by reason of his failure to index an instrument as required by this chapter, or by reason of any erroneous entry made by him or by his direction, or by any deputy or clerk appointed by him, in any books of index to be kept in his office as required by this chapter.

N.J. Stat. § 46:24-17 Indorsement of block number on instruments presented for record or registry

All instruments presented to the county recording officer in counties adopting local or block indexes for recording or registering, shall be legibly indorsed by him with the number of the block or blocks in which the land affected by the instrument is situate.

N.J. Stat. § 46:24-18 Indorsement of land block number on instruments entered in local index

In counties adopting local indexes as herein provided, every instrument entered in a local index shall, in addition to the other matters required by law, be indorsed by the county recording officer with the number of the land block under which such instrument is indexed.

N.J. Stat. § 46:24-19 Indexes as part of record of instruments and as notice of record, execution and contents thereof

The local indexes directed by this chapter to be made and kept and the entries made therein shall, for the purpose of notice as aforesaid, be deemed and taken to be a part of the record of the instruments to which such entries respectively refer or relate, and such indexes shall be deemed and held to be constructive notice as aforesaid of the record of entering thereof and of the execution and contents of such instruments in the same manner, to the same effect and with like effect as the recording or registering of such instruments now is or may be notice.

N.J. Stat. § 46:24-20 Blocks, parcels of land and lots to run to center of streets, avenues and roads

For the purpose of notice under this chapter each block or parcel of land required to be separately numbered with a block number in accordance with section 46:24-7 of this title, and also each lot of land in a block, shall be deemed to extend to the middle line of the streets, avenues and roads, then or thereafter laid out on the land map mentioned in said section 46:24-7, fronting and adjoining such blocks and lots respectively.

N.J. Stat. § 46:24-21 Correction of erroneous entries

In counties adopting local indexes under this chapter where there shall have been an erroneous indexing of any instrument in any such land record office, under the wrong block or otherwise, the county recording officer shall, on being satisfied thereof, reindex such instrument in the proper index, and he shall, at the same time, make a note of such reindexing upon the index in which such instrument was so erroneously indexed, opposite the entry thereof, and also upon the instrument recorded, if the same be in his possession or produced to him for that purpose. No entry in any book or index in such recording office shall be erased so as to be illegible, but any correction shall be made without destroying the original entry by drawing a line through such original entry.

N.J. Stat. § 46:24-22 Purpose and construction of chapter

The provisions of this chapter shall be construed by all courts according to the true intent and purpose thereof, which is declared to be to establish the use of local indexes for public records of land in the larger counties in population in this state, and thereby give to all future instruments required by law to be recorded or registered actual publicity upon the records, and give to the public facility of access thereto, and the courts are hereby directed to give such construction to this chapter as shall carry out such general purpose.

Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-activity/statutesFetched: 10/17/2026