N.Y. County Law § 919: Block indices in offices of county clerks

§ 919. Block indices in offices of county clerks. 1. New York, Bronx,

Kings and Queens counties. a. The county clerks of the counties of New

York, Bronx, Kings and Queens shall continue to index under the proper

block numbers all instruments now required by law to be recorded in the

books of notices of lis pendens. Such block index of notice of lis

pendens shall be entitled "the block index of notice of lis pendens" and

shall be ruled for entering therein the date of filing, the nature of

the action, the nature of the instrument, the court and index number,

the first named defendant, the first named plaintiff, the lot number or

street address, if any, the microfilm number and the proceedings had.

b. The county clerk of each of such counties shall also continue to

index under the proper block numbers all statutory notices of liens or

claims on land other than lis pendens which may be filed or recorded in

his office, which index shall be entitled "the block index of liens" and

shall be ruled for entering therein the date of filing, the nature of

the instrument, the owner of the premises affected by the notice, the

name and address of the lienor by whom the claim is made, the amount,

the lot number or street address, if any, and the proceeding had.

c. On and after July first, nineteen hundred sixty-four, the use of

land maps in the offices of the clerks of the counties of New York,

Bronx, Kings and Queens shall be discontinued, and the land maps

previously in use shall remain on file for the purpose of reference. On

and after such date, the tax maps for the boroughs of Manhattan, Bronx,

Brooklyn and Queens shall be substituted for the land maps theretofore

in use for the counties of New York, Bronx, Kings and Queens, and

reference shall be had to such tax maps and to the block numbers

designated thereon for the purpose of indexing instruments required to

be indexed in the block index of notice of lis pendens or in the block

index of liens. Such tax maps shall be conclusive as to the location of

block boundaries and block number designations. The tax map for each

borough may be referred to as the land map for the particular county

which it affects.

d. Except in the counties where existing land and tax blocks are

presently identical, on and after July first, nineteen hundred

sixty-four, the indices of all blocks theretofore existing in the block

index of notice of lis pendens and in the block index of liens shall be

closed except for the purpose of completing the indexing of instruments

filed prior to such date. New block indices shall thereupon be opened

for the block index of notice of lis pendens and for the block index of

liens, which new indices shall be numbered to conform with the block

numbers designated on the tax map of the borough for the particular

county to which it relates and which shall thenceforth be used for all

entries relating to land in such blocks. The date of closing shall be

entered at the end of each block index so closed and a reference shall

be made to the block number of the corresponding block in the new block

index. All such new block indices shall be endorsed on the covers

thereof so as to show the date of the opening thereof.

e. Whenever the boundaries of any block on the tax map shall

thereafter be changed or altered and renumbered according to law, the

block indices of notice of lis pendens and of liens of such block

theretofore existing comprising the land in the changed or altered block

so renumbered as aforesaid shall, except for the purpose of completing

the indexing of instruments filed prior to such change or alteration and

renumbering be closed and discontinued and new block indices of notice

of lis pendens and of liens shall be opened for every such renumbered

block, which new index shall thenceforth be used for all entries

relating to land in such block. The date of closing shall be entered at

the end of each block index so closed and a reference shall be made to

the number of every new, changed or altered block to be used in place

thereof. The date of opening shall be entered at the beginning of every

new block index, with a reference to the number of every block before in

use for the land contained in such new block.

f. Every instrument presented to a county clerk for filing and

required to be indexed in the block index of notice of lis pendens or in

the block index of liens in order to entitle the same to be filed shall

have endorsed thereon the number of every block on the current tax map

in which the land affected by such instrument is situate.

g. The county clerk of each of such counties, so long as he deems it

expedient, may prepare alphabetical indices of the parties to the

instruments mentioned in this subdivision, or to any of them, filed in

his office, and of the owners of land against which liens have been

filed and of judgment debtors whose names appear on record. The

particular form of such alphabetical indices shall be as such county

clerk shall determine, and shall cover such periods and be brought down

to such dates as he shall direct in respect to his own office.

h. Whenever any instrument entitled to be filed and indexed under the

provisions of this subdivision shall be presented for record, there

shall forthwith be endorsed thereon the date, hour and minute of its

receipt and the same shall be entered in the proper index under the

proper block number thereof in accordance with the items set forth in

paragraph a or paragraph b hereof.

i. The entries made in the block indices of notice of lis pendens and

of liens in conformity with the requirements of this subdivision shall

for the purpose of notice be deemed and taken to be a part of the record

of the instrument to which such entries respectively refer, and shall be

notice to subsequent purchasers or incumbrances to the same extent and

with like effect as the filing of such instruments in the office of such

county clerks now is or may be notice.

j. In cases where any instrument shall have been filed with an

erroneous designation, such county clerk on presentation of proper proof

thereof shall enter such instrument in the proper index under the proper

block number of every block, the designation of which shall have been

erroneously stated. He shall at the same time make a note of such entry

and of the date thereof in every place in which such instrument may have

been erroneously indexed, opposite the entry thereof, and also upon the

instrument itself, if the same be in his possession or produced to him

for the purpose, and the record of such instrument shall be constructive

notice as to the property in any block not duly designated at the time

of such filing only from the time when the same shall be properly

indexed.