Who are the candidates for Franklin County register and recorder?
Franklin County voters will elect the first new register and recorder in more than 30 years in the local general election on Nov. 7.
Republican candidate Joy Heinbaugh was the hand-picked predecessor of Linda Miller, who retired over a year ago.
Democrat John J. Patterson is also competing for the office.
The register and recorder is elected to a four-year term. The office records all documents related to land records, deeds and mortgages; handles probate of estates; and is a collection agency for the Department of Revenue for State Realty Transfer Tax, among other things.
To help voters learn more about the candidates, we asked them to participate in a written Q&A. Their answers are below, listed in the order the candidates will appear on the ballot.
John J. Patterson
Democrat
Tell voters about your background/experience and why you are the best candidate for register and recorder.
I'm a graduate of Chambersburg Area Senior High School and Penn State University. Throughout my professional career, I've navigated and been responsible for complex systems and procedures including medical records, technical product documentation and development, and training adults how to use these products and systems.
In addition to being responsible for handling thousands of various documents and millions of dollars and doing work that affects legal and real estate dealings, the register and recorder’s office works for taxpayers. How will you ensure all tasks are handled properly and effectively, yet efficiently?
One reason I'm running for Register and Recorder is to serve residents of Franklin County. Although other Pennsylvania counties have enacted Deed and Mortgage Fraud alerts to protect homeowners, Franklin County has lagged behind. Deed fraud occurs when someone pretends to have purchased real estate like a home. They file falsified papers at the Recorder's office, and soon after take out one or more mortgages. Without an alert system in place, a homeowner can find themselves in conflict with a lender about a large loan amount they never borrowed, or, worse, evicted from their own home. Deed fraud has been so common for so long, that Philadelphia County launched its alert system over 12 years ago.
If elected, I will launch a Deed and Mortgage alert system for Franklin County homeowners in 2024, and also work with our county's fine grant writers to obtain funding for and educate our residents about home ownership, HELOCs, and second and reverse mortgages by leveraging local community organizations like AARP, NARFE, SCCAP, and others.
Joy Heinbaugh
Republican
Tell voters about your background/experience and why you are the best candidate for register and recorder.
My name is Joy Heinbaugh, age 45, and I started my career in the Register and Recorder’s Office over 18 years ago as a Department Clerk and worked my way up to the position of Chief Deputy. On Sept. 30, 2022, the former Register and Recorder, Linda Miller, retired after serving for 35 years, and the Franklin County Commissioners appointed me as her replacement. I have been serving as the Interim Register and Recorder since Oct. 1, 2022.
In my role as Interim Register and Recorder, I am fully knowledgeable of all aspects of the office and have a proven track record in overseeing the daily operations of the office. Experience is so important because both of these office functions are very unique, extremely complex and require intimate knowledge of many legal and state requirements. It is the responsibility of the Recorder of Deeds to record approximately 19,000 documents per year and maintain accurate and complete records related to real estate transactions in Franklin County, including deeds, mortgages, easements, right of ways, etc. The Register of Wills is tasked with probating approximately 800 estates per year, collecting inheritance taxes, etc. For the year ending Dec. 31, 2022, over $30 million was collected by our office and turned over to the PA Department of Revenue for State Realty Transfer Tax and Inheritance Tax..
I bring 18 years of experience to this position which is so crucial in offering solid guidance to the general public. In her endorsement of my candidacy, Miller, the former Register and Recorder, stated, “The duties of this dual office are integral to the real estate and legal workings of our community and Franklin County deserves a Register and Recorder that can confidently perform all those duties on Day One!”
I am a Franklin County native currently residing in the Waynesboro area with my husband and family. I am also a lifelong conservative Republican. Choose Joy!
In addition to being responsible for handling thousands of various documents and millions of dollars and doing work that affects legal and real estate dealings, the register and recorder’s office works for taxpayers. How will you ensure all tasks are handled properly and effectively, yet efficiently?
Once again, experience is so crucial in handling all tasks properly, effectively and efficiently. In addition to recording land records and registering wills and estates, the office of Register and Recorder is also responsible for the following:
Recording military discharge records and notary bonds and commissions
Attending court hearings as a witness to delinquent estate filings
Making daily bank deposits, preparing monthly state reports and the annual budget, and participating in various audits.
I will continue to be fiscally conservative and an office holder that uses technology to enhance services that our office provides to the residents of Franklin County. Our office was the first in the County to implement e-recording, which allows attorneys and title companies to file documents online.
If elected, I promise to be a faithful steward of taxpayer dollars and continue to look for ways to increase efficiencies within the office. For example, I have pledged to be a full-time working supervisor and plan to eliminate a vacant full-time staff position, thus saving almost $40,000 for the taxpayers of Franklin County in my 2023 budget.
If elected, I am also planning on implementing a Record Alert system here in Franklin County. The Record Alert System would offer real-time alerts to property owners whenever changes are made to their deeds, mortgage, or other recordable documents. This system allows property owners to be immediately informed of any potential fraudulent activity, providing them with the opportunity to take swift action against any potential scams. Our office would provide this service free of charge, negating the need for property owners to pay high monthly fees to other businesses offering similar services.
This article originally appeared on Chambersburg Public Opinion: Heinbaugh, Patterson running for Franklin County register & recorder
