Middlesex County Property Search
A Middlesex County Property Record contains information about real property, including its address, ownership information, and any encumbrances that may have been registered against it. These include deeds, liens, mortgages, maps, easements, assignments, power of attorney, trade names, and releases, which contain official information and data about real estate and properties within the jurisdiction of Middlesex County. All property records in this county are collated, maintained, and dispersed by the office of the County Clerk record room. This office is charged with the recording and filing of documents relating to the ownership and transfer of real estate.
The general public can view and inspect property records in the Middlesex County Clerk's Office because they are considered part of Middlesex County Public Records. Conducting a property search is necessary to determine whether a piece of land is clear and free of any faults like unpaid liens or zoning violations. This requires looking through numerous official real property documents like deeds, contracts, and other recorded documents and information. To avoid future legal complications and to clear any doubts, ambiguities, and confusion concerning a Real property, a potential buyer must confirm that a property is clear and marketable. Other reasons why a property search is necessary include:
- To understand both the financial and physical conditions of the real property
- To know the actual value of the property through the process of valuation and property appraisal
- To resolve disputes about wills, bequests, boundary lines, and property rights, amongst others
Are Middlesex County Property Records Public?
Yes, property records are open to the public in Middlesex County, according to the State of New Jersey Open Public Records Act, which states that with a few exceptions for the protection of the public interest, government records must be easily accessible for inspection, copying, or examination by state residents. Therefore, property records, which are government records maintained by the Middlesex County Clerk's Office, are accessible to the public. Under certain conditions, Middlesex County property record information may be deemed private or restricted from being made public. They are:
- Legislative records
- Any property record being used in a criminal investigation.
- A building's emergency or security information
- Procedures for any buildings or facility that will jeopardize the security of the building, facility, or individuals within
- Information that will give an advantage to bidders if disclosed
- Personal identifying information in a property record such as social security number, credit card number, unlisted phone number or driver's license number, amongst others.
What Do Middlesex County Property Records Contain?
Real property records in Middlesex County typically contain several official documents such as deeds, maps, mortgages, liens, power of attorney, easements, trade names, and assignments.
- Deeds: The purpose of this legal document is to legalize the transfer of a property title, real property or asset ownership from one owner to another. A deed to a real property must be notarized and filed with the local government where the property is located for the owner to be able to sell it, refinance it, or obtain a line of credit on it. Types of deeds include
- The warranty deed
- The grant deed
- The quitclaim deed
- Maps: These are typically built to identify the boundaries of properties. They are a well-known source of data for real estate companies and the government. There are at least five essential elements in a map, which include the title, grid, legend (key), direction, and scale.
- Power of Attorney: This legal document transfers the right to manage and access a principal's property to an agent or attorney when the principal cannot do it. The agent is required by law and ethical obligations to act in the principal's best interest and to adhere to any directions specified in the power of attorney form.
- Liens: When a debtor breaches the terms of a loan contract, a lien is the creditor's legal right to sell the backed by collateral property. The lien's main function is to ensure the fulfillment of an underlying obligation, such as the payback of a loan.
- Mortgages: These are used to purchase a home or other types of real property, with the home or property itself serving as collateral. The borrower agrees to make regularly scheduled payments to the lender, generally through a series of regular installments divided into principal and interest. The property then acts as security for the loan. Two loan types include the fixed rate loan and the adjustable rate loan.
- Easements: This is the right of a party to have a limited interest or use of a real property belonging to another party, with a fee paid to the owner for the right to use the property. The three common types of easement agreement include the
- Private easement agreement
- Utility easement agreement
- Easement by necessity
- Assignments: This contract involves a party (assignor) transferring the rights of a real estate purchase agreement to another party (assignee). Essentially, the assignor operates as a middleman or contract flipper, trading their right to acquire the property they are contracting with an equitable interest in return for an assignment fee from the prospective homeowner.
- Details of the property's assessment and related public information
- Tax bills
Where to Perform a Middlesex County Property Lookup
Members of the public may conduct a Middlesex County property lookup at
The Office of the County Clerk: This government agency provides real property lookup services to the general public in Middlesex County. An individual may perform a property lookup by visiting the County Clerk's Office in person and carrying out a search at the
Office of the County Clerk - Registry
County Administration Building 4th Floor
75 Bayard Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Individuals may also conduct a real property lookup online using the Record Search System provided by a third-party website. An individual may possess the following required information when performing an online real property lookup
- Party name (Last name, first name), company name
- Document type and group
- Town
- Date Range
- Book and page search
- Clerk's file number search
- Consideration search
- Map search
- Legal Search
The online Record Search System allows users to examine and print all deeds recorded from 1929 to the present, mortgages from 1950 to the present, and other documents from 1958 to the present. From 5 am to 11 pm, seven days a week, the search system is accessible. It is important to note that the Middlesex County Clerk's Office is not permitted by law to conduct title searches for individuals who visit in person; nevertheless, the staff makes visitors familiar with the electronic recording and indexing system. An individual who desires a certified copy may send a written request or apply in person. Certification costs $10 for a copy and $2 per page.
How to Perform a Property Owner Lookup in Middlesex County
Property ownership information can be obtained in the county of Middlesex through the City or Borough Assessor's Office, where the real property is situated following the Open Public Records Act (OPRA). This act permits anyone interested to request and access information found in a property record. For instance, the Middlesex Borough Tax Collector and Assessor's Office offers access to public members who request property records, which may include information on the property owner. Anyone wishing to perform a property owner lookup must complete a Request Form. Information required from the requestor may include
- Name of the requestor (first and last or business name)
- Address
- City
- State
- ZIP code
- Phone number
- Fax
- Email address
- Description of request
- Delivery information
- Certification
The record requested has a response time frame of 7 days after the custodian's receipt of the request.
How to Find Middlesex County Property Records Online
Middlesex County, Real property records, may be obtained by the general public online through the County Clerk's Office website with the help of a third-party website. An individual who wishes to find a Middlesex County property record online may do so by taking the following actions
- Visit the County clerk's office website
- Click on "Record Search System" to link the third-party website
- Click on "Browser-Based Search" for the general public or "Advanced Search" for professionals
- Input the party name without commas in between
- Click on search
- An individual may input other optional information like document type and date range, amongst others.
How to Find Property Owner by Address for Free
Some Tax Assessors of the boroughs and townships within the jurisdiction of Middlesex County offer property owner search services to the public at no cost. For instance, in Highland Park Borough, the Tax Assessor's Office is in charge of determining and upholding the assessed value of all real estate located within the Highland Park Borough. The public can study the tax record book at no cost before the figures are submitted to the Middlesex County Board of Taxation, this gives the public the chance to review any property assessments. An individual seeking to perform a property owner lookup for free may contact the Tax Assessor's Office website and click on the Tax Record Book link to obtain the property tax information on all real property in Highland Park Borough, including ownership information.
Middlesex County Property Tax Lookup
Property tax is a charge made by a governing body on real estate that a person, a business, or legal body owns. Property taxes are locally assessed and gathered in Middlesex County to support the municipal, county, and local school districts. Each municipality's local Assessor assigns a value to all taxable property. An assessment is referred to as taxable value, and records of property taxes are maintained and disbursed by the local Tax Assessor where the property is located. For instance, an individual can obtain property tax information in the Township of Edison by filling out an OPRA Request Form from the Borough's Tax Assessor's website.
How to Find Middlesex County Property Appraiser
The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs is in charge of the State Real Estate Appraiser Board, which the New Jersey Legislature set up to oversee the appraisal industry and evaluate the qualifications of candidates for certification and license. The regulation of real estate appraisers in New Jersey is the responsibility of this body. The board issues licenses for residential appraisers, certified general appraisers, licensed real estate appraisers, and apprentice appraisers. Anyone who is seeking a property appraiser in Middlesex County may find one through the following process
- Visit the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs website online
- Click on "Request a List".
- Click on "Visit Verification website".
- Click on the "Download the Roster"
- Choose "Person Download Search"
- Choose your profession (real estate appraiser), license type, and license status.
- Click on "search".
Finding the market value of each piece of property in the county is the responsibility of the property appraiser. The property appraiser makes an assessment of the property's market worth. The property's appraisal is based on this sum minus the cost of selling the property. The valuation of the real estate property stated by an appraiser helps property owners to determine the benefits and obligations deriving from real estate ownership.
Middlesex County Property Assessor
An assessor is a professional who decides the fair market value of a possession, frequently for taxation purposes.
Assessors base their fair market and taxable value estimates on various objective and arbitrary criteria. Assessors offices in Middlesex are governed by the municipalities in which they are located. Residents can take advantage of the various services from the property assessor's office in their locality. For instance, the Township of Edison Tax Assessor's responsibilities include
- Keeping track of a variety of statistics on all of the Township's individual properties. Ownership, postal address, location, year of construction, number of lots, and all property details are included in this data.
- Making the necessary adjustments to assessments due to modifications such as demolitions, appeals, subdivisions, and upgrades.
- The Assessor also examines every property transfer and updates these records when due.
- The Assessors Office also offers state-mandated property tax deduction opportunities.
- Determining the county's taxable properties and their owners.
- According to the property taxation law, assign a taxable value to each piece of property.
- Apply all legal exemptions to properties that qualify.
To find a property in Edison Township, for instance, an individual may:
- Visit the County's Department of Finance website
- Click on "Municipal Directory" in order to get the directions to the appropriate municipal website
- Choose Edison Township
- Click on "Departments"
- Scroll down and click on "Tax Assessor" to contact the Assessor's Office
