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Lackawanna County approves $15 recorder fee to fund demolition of blighted properties
Summary
The Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners approved Ordinance 299 on its second reading to create a county demolition fund financed by a $15 fee collected by the Recorder of Deeds on recorded deeds and mortgages; the fee becomes effective Dec. 1, 2025 and the fund will be administered by the county land bank.
The Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners voted to adopt Ordinance 299 on Aug. 20, 2025, creating a county demolition fund financed by a $15 fee to be collected by the Lackawanna County Recorder of Deeds on every deed and mortgage recorded in the office.
The ordinance, authorized under Pennsylvania Act 87 of 1982 as amended by Act 152 of 2016, directs the Recorder of Deeds to deposit collected fees into a designated demolition fund to be administered by the Lackawanna County Land Bank. The ordinance states the fee becomes effective Dec. 1, 2025, not less than 90 days after final adoption.
Krista Magnotta, the county’s director of economic development, told the commissioners that 26 Pennsylvania counties had implemented similar demolition funds and estimated that, had the ordinance been in place in 2024, the county would have collected about $174,105 to address blighted properties. Magnotta also said program guidelines are still being developed with solicitors and that liens would likely be part of the program so the county could recoup demolition costs when properties sell.
Members of the public and stakeholders spoke during the agenda-only public comment period. Chris Fay, government affairs director for the Greater Scranton Board of Realtors, said his organization could not support the ordinance “in this format” because it would add a transaction cost to every property transfer and could affect affordability for first-time buyers, seniors and working families. Fay urged the commissioners to consider exemptions for vulnerable buyers and to include a sunset provision so the program can be evaluated.
Resident Lorraine Cummings also opposed the measure on affordability grounds, saying she viewed it as “a backdoor tax.” Commissioners responded that exemptions could be created while drafting program guidelines. One commissioner noted existing first-time homebuyer programs, including NeighborWorks, may cover certain closing costs and said a $15 fee was not “prohibitive.”
The board approved the ordinance on a voice vote. The ordinance text directs that all funds collected be used exclusively for demolition of blighted properties, deposited promptly by the Recorder of Deeds, and administered by the county land bank. Implementation details, including any exemptions and how liens will be handled, will be worked out in forthcoming program guidelines drafted with the county solicitors.
Effective date: Dec. 1, 2025. Funding estimate cited during the meeting: approximately $174,105 (county presentation); an alternate estimate cited by a public commenter: approximately $150,000.
