New York State Secretary of State Statements of Escheated Lands in the New Military Tract and of Land Sales in Certain Other Tracts
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Overview of the Records
New York State Archives
New York State Education Department
Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230
0.1 cubic feet
1 microfilm roll 35 mm
Administrative History
Escheated lands are defined as unclaimed, abandoned, or uninherited property that passes to the custody of the state (Abandoned Property Law, Art. 2). Escheat insures that the property always has a recognized owner, which would be the state if no other claimants to ownership exist. Real property permanently reverts to the state if a rightful claimant does not petition the Office of General Services within 40 years.
Scope and Content Note
The first part of this series consists of statements of escheated lands in the Military Tract "for which no grants have been ordered by the Commissioners of the Land Office." Each entry provides the following information: township, lot number, subdivision, number of acres, "occupants returned by Surveyor," persons ejected, date of Attorney General's report of ejectment, "page of mem. book," and remarks. It appears that pages may have been microfilmed out of their proper sequence. The series also contains statements for various tracts of land, which provide the lot number and location, occupant's name, subdivision number, number of acres, price per acre, and total costs (including the amount for the survey). Information about certain townships and land patents is also found in the series, with lot number, subdivision number, acres, name of patentee, date of patent, and book and page numbers provided for each township or patent listed.
Alternate Formats Available
Microfilmed in part in 1973 at the Department of State by the Genealogical Society of Utah, microfilm reel 947117 (item 3). Cataloged as "Escheated Land Records." GSU microfilm has been digitized by FamilySearch. Images can be viewed online at FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries (including the New York State Archives and the New York State Library).
Processing Information
This series was microfilmed along with series A0449, Register of gold and silver mines.
Access Restrictions
Microfilm is not available for duplication or inter-library loan.