46:26A-5. Form of documents and maps; cover sheet or electronic synopsis.

a. To be accepted for recording, a document or its image shall be either:

(1) legibly printed on paper no larger than 81/2 inches by 14 inches; or

(2) in compliance with regulations on the form of documents promulgated by the Division of Archives and Records Management in the Department of State.

b. A document or its image accepted for recording may be accompanied by a cover sheet or an electronic synopsis separate from the document or integrated with the document. The Division of Archives and Records Management in the Department of State shall establish forms for cover sheets and formats for electronic synopses. The form for a separate cover sheet shall be available at every recording office and on a web site maintained by the Division of Archives and Records Management. The cover sheet or electronic synopsis shall include:

(1) the nature of the document;

(2) the date of the document;

(3) the names of the parties to the document and any other names by which the document is to be indexed;

(4) if the document is a deed conveying title to real property:

(i) the lot and block number or other real property tax designation of the real property conveyed or a statement that the information is not available;

(ii) the consideration for the conveyance;

(iii) the mailing address of the grantee; and

(5) if the document is an assignment, release or satisfaction of a mortgage or an agreement respecting a mortgage, it states the book and page number or the document identifying number of the mortgage to which it relates if the mortgage has been given such a number.

c. If the person submitting the document for recording does not include a cover sheet or electronic synopsis, the recording office shall charge an additional fee of $20 for the additional cost of indexing.

d. To be accepted for recording, a map shall be clearly and legibly drawn in black ink on translucent tracing cloth, translucent mylars at least 4 mils thick or its equivalent, of good quality, with signatures in ink, or as an equivalent reproduction on photographic fixed line mylar 4 mils thick with signatures in black ink or its equivalent and accompanied by a cloth print or photographic fixed line mylar 4 mils thick duplicate; and one of six standard sizes: 8 1/2" x 13", 30" x 42", 24" x 36", 11" x 17", 18" x 24" or 15" x 21" as measured from cutting edges. If one sheet is not of sufficient size to contain the entire territory, the map may be divided into sections to be shown on separate sheets of equal sizes, with references on each sheet to the adjoining sheets.

e. The regulations of the Division of Archives and Records Management specifying the form of documents shall comply with rules, standards and procedures authorized by the State Records Committee pursuant to its authority under section 6 of P.L.1994, c.140 (C.47:1-12) and the "Destruction of Public Records Law (1953)," P.L.1953, c.410 (C.47:3-15 et seq.).

f. A county recording office shall not be required to accept for recording a cover sheet or electronic synopsis pursuant to subsections b. and c. of this section until five years after the effective date of P.L.2011, c.217 (N.J.S.46:26A-1 et al.). This provision shall not operate to prevent or preclude any county recording officer from adopting the use of the document summary form or electronic synopsis prior to that date.

Source: New; 46:19-3; 46:23-9.11.

L.2011, c.217, s.1.