2023 New York Laws › RPP - Real Property › Article 12 - Registering Title to Real Property › 371 - Petitions and Proceedings to Be in Supreme Court; Title Part of Special Term.

§ 371. Petitions and proceedings to be in supreme court; title part of
  special term.
The petition for registration must be made to the supreme court; or to
  a  justice  thereof,  sitting  at  a special term in any of the counties
  within the judicial department where the property is situated,  and  for
  that  purpose said court shall be always open; and its orders, judgments
  and decrees in cases coming under this article may be made  and  entered
  as well in vacation as in term time. The proceedings upon such petitions
  shall  have  the  effect of proceedings in rem against the land, and the
  final orders shall have the effect of final judgments in an  action  and
  shall operate directly on the land and vest and establish title thereto.
  An  issue raised in such a case shall be tried at a special term of said
  court, in the county in which the  petition  is  filed,  by  the  court,
  except  that  an  issue  of  fact  may be tried by a jury, in the manner
  prescribed by the civil practice law and rules. When in any  county  the
  amount  of business under this article makes it necessary or proper that
  such business should be attended to by one  or  more  justices  of  said
  court  assigned for that purpose, the appellate division of the judicial
  department in which such county is  situated  shall  designate  as  many
  justices  as  may be deemed necessary, to constitute the "title part" of
  the special term in  that  court;  and  said  appellate  division  shall
  provide by rules of practice for the conduct, in said title part, of the
  business  coming  under  this  article  in  such  county. Said appellate
  division may assign one or more additional justices to said "title part"
  of the special term, or withdraw one or more justices therefrom, as  the
  business  coming  under this article may require and the availability of
  the supreme court justices make proper.  One of the justices so assigned
  to the "title  part"  of  the  special  term  in  any  county  shall  be
  designated  by  said  appellate division to have general supervision and
  control of the business coming under this article in that county; and so
  far as is reasonably possible, such designation shall remain  unchanged,
  and  such  justice  shall be retained continuously in such term and part
  during his term of  office  unless  in  the  opinion  of  the  appellate
  division  a  change is required for the better enforcement or working of
  this law. One and the same justice may be assigned so as  to  have  such
  general  supervision and control in two or more counties of the judicial
  district for which he is elected. Other duties may be assigned  by  such
  appellate  division to such justice, provided that they do not interfere
  with his work in supervising and controlling the business  coming  under
  this  article. The justice assigned, as herein provided, to have general
  supervision and control of the business coming under the article in  any
  county,  shall  also  have  general  supervision  and control of all the
  official examiners within such county  and  it  shall  be  his  duty  to
  observe  and  supervise their work as such official examiners, to advise
  them when necessary and to make any suggestions  or  recommendations  to
  the appellate division with respect to discipline, suspension or removal
  of  any  of them as to him may seem necessary or proper in the interests
  of the successful operation of this law.