§ 141 — Commissioners of deeds in other states, territories and foreign countries

§ 141. Commissioners of deeds in other states, territories and foreign\ncountries. The secretary of state may, in his discretion, appoint and\ncommission in any other state, territory or dependency, or in any\nforeign country, such number of commissioners of deeds as he may think\nproper, each of whom shall be a resident of or have his place of\nbusiness in the city, county, municipality or other political\nsubdivision from which chosen, and shall hold office for the term of\nfour years, unless such appointment shall be sooner revoked by the\nsecretary of state, who shall have power to revoke the same. A person\napplying for appointment as a commissioner of deeds shall state in his\napplication the city, county, municipality or other political\nsubdivision for which he desires to be appointed, and shall enclose with\nhis application the sum of twenty-five dollars, which sum, if a\ncommission shall be granted, shall be paid by the secretary of state\ninto the state treasury, and if such commission shall not be granted,\nthen the same shall be returned to the person making the application.\nEach commissioner, before performing any of the duties or exercising any\nof the powers of his office, shall take the constitutional oath of\noffice, if appointed for a city or county within the United States,\nbefore a justice of the peace or some other magistrate in such city or\ncounty; and if for a territory or dependency, before a judge of a court\nof record in such territory or dependency; and if for a city,\nmunicipality or other political subdivision in a foreign country, before\na person authorized by the laws of this state to administer an oath in\nsuch country, or before a clerk or judge of a court of record in such\nforeign country; and shall cause to be prepared an official seal on\nwhich shall be designated his name, the words, "commissioner of deeds\nfor the state of New York," and the name of the city or county, and the\nstate, country, municipality or other political subdivision from which\nappointed, and shall file a clear impression of such seal, his written\nsignature and his oath certified by the officer before whom it was\ntaken, in the office of the department of state. The secretary of state\nupon receipt of such impression, signature and oath, shall forward to\nsuch commissioner instructions and forms, and a copy of the appropriate\nsections of this chapter.\n