Closings glossary
ACRIS
New York City's public index of recorded property documents for Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. Deeds, mortgages, satisfactions, easements and many liens are recorded here, which makes it the starting point for confirming ownership in those four boroughs. Staten Island instruments are indexed by the Richmond County Clerk, not here, though a Staten Island transfer tax return is still filed through ACRIS.
What does ACRIS stand for?
Quick Answer
The full definition
New York City's public index of recorded property documents for Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. Deeds, mortgages, satisfactions, easements and many liens are recorded here, which makes it the starting point for confirming ownership in those four boroughs. Staten Island instruments are indexed by the Richmond County Clerk, not here, though a Staten Island transfer tax return is still filed through ACRIS.
Also called: Automated City Register Information System, City Register.
Which related terms should you know?
These are the terms that come up alongside acris in the same file.
- BBL (Borough-Block-Lot)
- The tax lot identifier for a parcel of New York City real property, written as borough, block and lot. Nearly every City record system keys on it rather than on an address.
- Recording
- Filing an instrument with the register or county clerk so it becomes part of the public record. Recording establishes priority against later purchasers and lenders.
- Title search
- The records examination behind a title report, covering the chain of title, encumbrances and court filings against the owners. It precedes the commitment.
- Deed
- The instrument that conveys real property. Signature, acknowledgment and delivery make it effective between the parties, while recording is what protects it against later purchasers.
- Satisfaction of mortgage
- The instrument that releases a paid mortgage from the record. Until it is recorded, the old mortgage still appears as a lien against the property.
Where does acris come up in a New York City closing?
Before a Queens closing the searcher pulls the ACRIS record by borough, block and lot rather than by street address, because addresses change and tax lot numbers do not.
What else should you read before closing?
Questions this raises
- How long does recording take in New York City?ACRIS e-recording usually accepts clean residential instruments within days. What causes rejections, how indexing works, and why recorded copies ar...
- What gets recorded after a NYC closing?Deed, mortgage, assignments and satisfactions record through ACRIS with the City Register, along with transfer tax returns. What is filed instead o...
The statute itself
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