How to search Westchester Records Online for judgments and liens and interpret index entries?
Executive summary
Westchester County judgments and liens are public, permanent records that can be searched online via Westchester Records Online or in person at the County Clerk’s White Plains office; these records are indexed by name and include original filings plus satisfactions and renewals [1][2]. The County Clerk’s site and Westchester Records Online provide search tools, weekly reports for purchase, and instructions for requesting certified copies or index searches by mail [3][1][4].
1. How to reach the records: online, in person, or by mail
Westchester Records Online is the Clerk’s consolidated portal for Land, Legal, Maps and Trades searches and replaces the old Public Viewer; new users must register to view document images while returning users can sign in with their prior credentials [3]; alternatively, the Westchester County Clerk’s Legal Division in White Plains offers free public viewing terminals for documents from 2002 to present during business hours [4].
2. What judgments and liens are available and how they’re organized
Monetary judgments, mechanic’s liens, broker’s liens and notices of pendency are all recorded as permanent public records in the Clerk’s office and accessible either online or at the White Plains office; filings are indexed by name, meaning searches typically require the debtor’s last name [1][2][5]. The Clerk also handles transcribed judgments from other New York counties, foreign judgments and New York State tax warrants, and weekly lists summarizing recent filings are produced for purchase [1][6].
3. Practical search inputs and scope of online results
When using Westchester Records Online or the Clerk’s index, searches can be run by party name, property address, control number, or transaction date for land-related records, while legal/judgment searches are generally name-driven—include middle names/initials and approximate years to narrow results [3][7][8]. The Clerk’s online descriptions note civil case coverage from 1980 forward and criminal from 1978 forward, and the land database contains deeds back centuries, so expect different date ranges depending on record type [4][8].
4. How to read an index entry and what it tells the user
Each judgment or lien index entry records the basic filing details: the original filing information and any subsequent related filings such as satisfactions (showing payment) and renewals (extending effectiveness), and entries typically include the parties’ names and filing dates—these index lines are the pointer to full images or certified copies in the file [2][1]. Because many legal filings are formulaic and limited in narrative detail, the index entry alone may not explain the case’s backstory; the full document image or certified copy is often required for substantive information [9].
5. Fees, certified copies, reports and office procedures
Certified copies and index searches can be requested by mail with specified fees: an index or file number search costs $10 if the requester cannot provide the number, certified copies have per-item fees, and weekly printed judgment/lien reports can be obtained for $30 per weekly list if not subscribed to online services [4][1]. The Clerk’s office accepts mailed requests with checks or money orders for some services, maintains a lobby drop box for hardcopy deliveries, and staff will provide certified copies at the Requisitions Counter when visiting [1][5][4].
6. Limitations, workarounds and alternative searches
The records are county-based and indexed by name or property, so searches without accurate names or identifiers may miss entries [1][7]; statewide judgment searches can be supplemented through the NYS Courts eCourts portal and title companies or third-party services are commonly used for comprehensive lien and title searches across jurisdictions [10]. The County Archives and Clerk’s Land Records Division can assist with historical deeds and indexes when additional indexing or archival research is needed [7][11].