Westmoreland County, PA Property Records

Westmoreland County sits immediately east of Pittsburgh, close enough to benefit from the metropolitan economy and far enough to carry a separate industrial past that has not fully resolved itself. With roughly 351,000 residents, it ranks 11th of 67 Pennsylvania counties by population, a position it has held while losing people, slowly, for the better part of two decades.

The county's internal geography is instructive. Suburban townships such as Murrysville and Hempfield have absorbed Pittsburgh commuters and posted income levels well above the county median. River towns like Monessen and New Kensington, built on steel, aluminum, and glass that largely stopped being made here after 1980, have not. The average home value of $191,810, up 1.5% over the past year, obscures that disparity more than it illuminates it. Listings go to pending in around 7 days, suggesting demand is real at the aggregate level.

According to Federal Reserve Economic Data, an estimated 27–29% of households are cost-burdened. With a median household income of approximately $72,468, the county is neither comfortable nor desperate. It is, in the manner of much of western Pennsylvania, complicated.

Property records are maintained at the county level by the Recorder of Deeds, while assessments and tax data are handled by separate county offices.

Who Keeps the Official Land Records

The official custodian of all land records in Westmoreland County is the Westmoreland County Recorder of Deeds, a standalone elected office. The elected official is Frank Schiefer, who also serves as President of the Pennsylvania Recorders of Deeds Association (PRODA). The office is located at 2 North Main Street, Suite 503, Greensburg, PA 15601 (per the PRODA directory and staff directory; the county's public access portal also references 40 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 420 as an alternate address; call (724) 830-3518 to confirm the current reception filing entrance before visiting).

Online deed records are accessible through the county's own wcdeeds.us portal and through GIS Tax Mapping. E-recording is available through Simplifile and CSC. Documents submitted for e-recording are first routed to the UPI/GIS Tax Mapping department for review before being forwarded to the Recorder for official recording.

A free AlertMe real estate transfer alert service is available at wcdeeds.us. The office also runs a Veterans' Identification Discount Card program for all veterans residing in the county.

What Westmoreland County Property Records Include

The Recorder of Deeds maintains all instruments affecting real property within the county. The office is the primary repository for all property-related documents and various civil documents, including permits, name changes, county oaths, and commissions.

Recorded document types include deeds, mortgages, easements, rights-of-way, agreements, 30-year leases, oil and gas leases, installment land contracts, declarations (including condominiums), plans and subdivisions, agricultural security areas, distributions, deed trusts, condemnations, and many other instruments.

The office also records notary bonds and commissions, police commissions, district justice commissions, county oaths, and numerous civil documents. UCC financing statements ($100 flat) are also recorded.

Pennsylvania uses a recorded land title system statewide. Westmoreland County's fee schedule is among the most comprehensive and detailed, and it is published in full on the county website. The base deed and mortgage fee is $110.25 (4 names, 4 pages, 1 tax map number, 1 UPI). Extra UPIs are $20.00 each, the highest per-UPI charge.

Documents are indexed by grantor or grantee and tax map number UPI. E-recorded documents route through the UPI GIS Tax Mapping department for certification before the Recorder accepts them.

How to Access Westmoreland County Property Records

Records can be accessed online via wcdeeds.us, in person at the courthouse, by phone, by mail, or via e-recording.

Online Access

Westmoreland County maintains its own dedicated online records portal. A free AlertMe service allows property owners to sign up for real estate transfer alerts. The Westmoreland County GIS Tax Mapping site (accessible through the county website) provides parcel data and allows property searches by address, supplementing the recorder's index.

In Person

Address: 2 North Main Street, Suite 503, Greensburg, PA 15601 (confirm current entrance); Copy & Research Center: (724) 830-3522; Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Non-certified document images can be printed for free from the public access terminal.

By Phone

Call (724) 830-3518 during office hours. For mailed submissions, include exact payment, a SASE, and a phone number with your correspondence.

E-Recording

E-recording is available through Simplifile and CSC. E-recorded documents are first sent to the UPI/GIS Tax Mapping department for review and certification before being forwarded to the Recorder. Exception: documents with attachments to the Statement of Value must be submitted in person or by mail (not e-recorded) to avoid incurring per-page copy fees on the attachments.

What's Not at the Recorder's Office

The Register of Wills is a separate elected office in Westmoreland County, handling probate, estate records, and inheritance tax. The Prothonotary maintains civil court records, judgments, and liens. The Westmoreland County Assessment Office (40 N. Pennsylvania Ave.; (724) 830-3409) maintains property assessments and the county's GIS tax mapping system.

Zoning is administered by individual municipalities; there is no county-wide zoning ordinance. The county planning department provides county-level planning guidance. The Tax Claim Bureau (2 N. Main St.; (724) 830-3420) handles delinquent taxes; online delinquent tax payment is available at paylocalgov.com. For statewide data, consult the Pennsylvania DCED.

Step-by-Step: How to Pull a Deed Online

Westmoreland County has its own dedicated online records portal:

Go to the Westmoreland County Public Access Portal at wcdeeds.us/paxworld/. Accept the disclaimer.
Search by grantor or grantee name, document type, or recorded date range. For advanced searches by document type, use “Advanced/Legal” near the top of the page.
Note all instrument numbers, book and page references, UPI numbers, and tax map numbers.
Non-certified document images can be printed for free. For certified copies, contact the Copy & Research Center at (724) 830-3522.
For parcel mapping and address-to-parcel lookup, use the Westmoreland County GIS Tax Mapping site (accessible through westmorelandcountypa.gov).
Sign up for free AlertMe real estate transfer alerts at wcdeeds.us to monitor your name or property for future recorded instruments.

Cities & Towns in Westmoreland County

All recorded property documents for every municipality in Westmoreland County are maintained by the single Westmoreland County Recorder of Deeds in Greensburg.

County Seat City: Greensburg.
Major Cities: New Kensington, Arnold, Latrobe, Jeannette, Monessen, and Lower Burrell.
Major Townships: Hempfield Township, Murrysville, Penn Township/North Huntingdon, Rostraver, Unity, Salem, Ligonier, Derry, East Huntingdon, Sewickley, Washington, South Huntingdon, Cook, Donegal, Fairfield, Allegheny.
Laurel Highlands Historic Communities: Ligonier Borough, Youngwood, Scottdale, Mt. Pleasant Borough, Connellsville area.
Selected Other Boroughs: Delmont, Export, Irwin, Millvale Township area, New Stanton, Trafford, Vandergrift, West Newton.

Full list at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westmoreland_County,_Pennsylvania.

City/Town Resources for Assessments & Taxes

Property assessments are administered at the county level by the Westmoreland County Assessment Office (40 N. Pennsylvania Ave.; (724) 830-3409). GIS parcel data and tax mapping: accessible through westmorelandcountypa.gov. Delinquent taxes: Tax Claim Bureau (2 N. Main St.; (724) 830-3420; online payment at paylocalgov.com).

Zoning varies by municipality; there is no county zoning. The county planning department provides guidance. For state-level data, consult the Pennsylvania DCED.

Westmoreland County-Specific Nuances

Deed mortgage fee is $110.25 and includes 1 UPI, but extra UPIs are $20.00 each. The base deed and mortgage recording fee is $110.25, which includes 4 names, 4 pages, 1 tax map number, and 1 UPI. Additional UPIs cost $20.00 each, the highest per-UPI charge.

Multi-parcel transactions with multiple UPIs in Westmoreland County can generate significant additional fees. Extra names and tax map numbers are $0.50 each; extra pages are $2.00 each.

Frank Schiefer serves as PRODA President, an indicator of an engaged, professionally active office. Recorder Schiefer holds the presidency of the Pennsylvania Recorders of Deeds Association, the statewide professional body for PA recorders. This signals a well-organized, professionally engaged office with strong connections to recording policy developments statewide.
E-recording routes through UPI GIS Tax Mapping before the Recorder, a two-step workflow. E-recorded submissions in Westmoreland County follow a distinctive two-step workflow: documents are first routed to the UPI GIS Tax Mapping department for review and certification, then forwarded to the Recorder's office for official recording.

This differs from most PA counties, where e-recordings go directly to the Recorder. The practical implication: e-recording processing times in Westmoreland County may be slightly longer than in counties without this intermediate review step.

SOV attachments must be submitted in person or by mail, not e-recorded. Any document that includes an attachment to the Statement of Value cannot be e-recorded. The county's website explains that submitting SOV attachments electronically would require paying per-page copy fees for those attachments. These documents must be submitted in person or by mail. This is a specific e-recording exception unique to this county.
Comprehensive, detailed fee schedule published in full on the county website. Westmoreland County publishes one of the most complete fee schedules, listing dozens of named instrument types with individual prices. Notable: Cemetery Deed ($110.25); Oil & Gas Lease ($82.25); Agricultural Security Area ($82.25); Re-Recorded Deed Mortgage ($112.25 each); Coal Agreement, Condominium Completion, Condominium Plan, County Plan, Supplemental Declaration, Supplemental Indenture ($41.00 or $49.00); Police Commission ($19.00); Act 287 ($15.50). Always review the current fee schedule at westmorelandcountypa.gov/152/Fee-Schedule before submitting.
Veterans' Identification Discount Card program. The Westmoreland County Recorder of Deeds office has launched a Veterans' Identification Discount Card program for all veterans residing in the county. This is a distinctive community service program not seen in any other county. Veterans should contact the office for details.
AlertMe's real estate transfer alert service is free. Property owners can sign up for free real estate transfer alerts through the AlertMe icon on wcdeeds.us. This service notifies registrants when a document is recorded that matches their name or property, providing an early warning against unauthorized transfers or fraudulent recordings.
Westmoreland County's founding in 1773 makes it Pennsylvania's oldest county west of the Alleghenies, and its records reflect that history. Early deed chains in the county may trace back to original grants, warrants, surveys, and colonial patents for western Pennsylvania lands.

Researchers tracing pre-1800 titles should consult the Westmoreland County Historical Society and the Pennsylvania State Archives for the earliest instruments.

Typical Contents of a Westmoreland County Property Record

When reviewing recorded instruments at the Westmoreland County Recorder of Deeds, you will typically find:

Deeds:
- Grantor and grantee names.
- Complete legal description
- Including municipality and county.
- True consideration stated, or Affidavit of Value (in duplicate; complete with addresses, assessed market values,
- Mortgages
- Location
- Taxable exempt status with the regulation number cited.
- Uniform Parcel Identifier number.
- Tax map number.
- Notarial acknowledgment.
Mortgages and Related:
- Lender borrower names,
- property description,
- loan terms.
- Mtg Sat Release Assignment Modification Extension Addendum Amendment Subordination Assumption: $84.25 (with marginal notation).
Other Common Instruments:
- Easements and rights of way ($82.25).
- Oil and Gas Leases ($82.25); 30-Year Leases ($82.25).
- Plans and Subdivisions ($49.00 first page + $20.00 additional; extra UPIs $20.00 each).
- Agricultural Security Areas ($82.25); Preferential Assessment ($41.00).
- UCC Financing Statements (all types: $100.00 flat).
- Notary Bond and Commission ($34.50 flat).

Recording Changes to Property Titles

All new deeds, mortgages, easements, and other instruments affecting real property in Westmoreland County must be recorded with the Recorder of Deeds. Submissions may be made in person (Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.), by mail, or via e-recording (Simplifile or CSC; SOV attachments excepted).

Pennsylvania's 2% Realty Transfer Tax (1% state + 1% local) applies to most deed transactions. All deeds must state true consideration or include two copies of the Affidavit of Value. Any exemption claimed requires a fully completed AOV filed in duplicate. Exact payment required; include SASE and phone number with mailed submissions.

Base deed mortgage fee: $110.25. Extra UPIs: $20.00 each. Extra names and tax map numbers: $0.50 each. Extra pages: $2.00 each. Marginal notations: $2.00 notation over one. Easement ROW: $82.25. 30-Year Lease: $82.25. Oil & Gas Lease: $82.25. Mtg Sat Release Assignment: $84.25. Re-Recorded Deed Mortgage: $112.25. Plans Subdivisions: $49.00 + $20.00/page. UCC (all types): $100.00 flat.

Practical Research Flow (Checklist)

A practical approach for researching property records in Westmoreland County, PA:

Search online via wcdeeds.us. Go to wcdeeds.us/paxworld/. Non-certified images are printable for free. AlertMe sign-up is available.
For parcel identification and address lookup, use GIS Tax Mapping. Accessible through westmorelandcountypa.gov.
Note all UPI numbers, tax map numbers, book and page references. Multiple UPIs on one instrument cost $20.00 each.
Verify parcel and assessment data. Contact the Assessment Office at (724) 830-3409.
Verify zoning. Contact the specific municipality. No county zoning.
Check delinquent taxes. Contact the Tax Claim Bureau at (724) 830-3420 or pay online at paylocalgov.com.
Prepare recording documents. Deed mortgage base $110.25 (extra UPIs $20.00 each); AOV in duplicate for all exemption claims (complete with regulation number); SOV attachments in person mail only; e-recording routes through UPI, GIS Tax Mapping first; exact payment; SASE + phone number; office closes at 4:00 p.m.

Appendix A: Municipalities in Westmoreland County

County Seat City: Greensburg.
Major Cities: New Kensington, Arnold, Latrobe, Jeannette, Monessen, and Lower Burrell.
Major Townships: Hempfield Township, Murrysville, Penn Township/North Huntingdon, Rostraver, Unity, Salem, Ligonier, Derry, East Huntingdon, Sewickley, Washington, South Huntingdon, Cook, Donegal, Fairfield, Allegheny.
Laurel Highlands Historic communities: Ligonier Borough, Youngwood, Scottdale, Mt. Pleasant Borough, Connellsville area.
Selected Other Boroughs: Delmont, Export, Irwin, Millvale Township area, New Stanton, Trafford, Vandergrift, West Newton.