The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-06
RECORDS REFLECT
BETTER MARKET
Increased Filings Show Big
Improvement in Realty
Situation.

A marked Improvement in the real
estate situation is>indicated by the in
creased number Of papers relating to
realty received recently at the Office OF
James A. Donegan. Register OF New
York county. Tho real estate transact
tions recorded In the county were oom-
paratively few last year. With the be-
was noted. and within the last few
weeks the number of recorded transae-
tions has rapidly grown. ~,
Records show that In January. 1918.
conveyances recorded. were sea; mort
cages, $50: MISCELLANEOUS papers, SO.
and discharges OF mortgages, iss, a
total OF 1860. The figures for January,
1912. were. conveyances. 76s; mortgages.
TIA; miscellaneous papers, 40: dis
charges OF mortgages, 241. Total, 1.768.
In February. 1918, were recorded! Con-
veyances, b6sS; mortgages, STA; miscal-
laneous papers, "a: discharges Of mort.
cages, 1871. Total, 1851, against con-
veyances., 55ss; mortgages. sra; nniscei-
laneous papers. 40: discharges OF mort
cages. 227. Total. 1.7os. for Fab
ruary. 1919.
Realty instruments recorded In March.
1918. numbered: Conveyances, ia:
mortgages, 500; miscellaneous papers,
CT; satisfactiohs OF mortgages 16s.
Total, 1870. In March. 1919: Convey
ances, 9s4; mortgages, 7t; miscellane-
Gus papers. IS; discharges OF mortgages,
ala. Total, 1895. The increases In the
number of recorded instruments In 1919
compared with the correspondent 1918
months have been: January. 10 per
cent. February. moro than 25 per cent.
and March, nearly Is per cent.
The receipts In the mortgage tax
Bureau indicate O value Of more than
sac, 1000, 900 In mortgages recorded IN the
first quarter Of this year. against $l6.-
100000 in the correspondent period OF
last year. ....F ...
Register Donesan said yesterday;
There 10 no surer barometer OF real e.
tate conditions than the activity Of the
Registers Office. .'-.. ....
"A considerable Increase IN the num-
Der of persons using the real estate in
dexes OF the ofiice began to attract my
attention several months ago. and am
not surprised at the number Of transac-
tions shown by the records. The influx
Of searchers always precedes by several
weeks the additional number of recorded
transfers. The new system Of indexing,
constantly being perfected, and tho con-
renient arrangement OF abstracts by
blocks and city lots have proved popular
with searchers and have made the ex-
animation Of titles by individual sttor-
neys more general. The situation as to
land title registration Is improving.
AFTER ten years Of the existence of
the title registration system only three
Manhattan properties remained regis
tered when the amendments of 1918 were
enacted. Since that time twelve parti-
tions have been filed and property valued
at nearly $350.000 has been registered.
Other titles are still before the courts.
As property once registered cannot be
removed from the registration system
the steady advance In the number and
value OF registered properties 10 hopeful.
The number Of real property papers re-
corded In the few early days Of April
shows q further marked increase. On the
whole the situation In regard to Manhat-
tan real estate, SO far as tina records af-
ford evidence. Is such as to encourage
owners Of real property to expect a live
lier market in the near future"