Transaction Coordination · Pennsylvania

Transaction Coordinator in Lawrence County, PA.

Precision Leverage Solutions coordinates real estate transactions in Lawrence County for Keller Williams agents, from ratified contract through settlement. Realty transfer tax here is 2.0%, deeds record through the Lawrence County Register and Recorder, and we handle the county and municipal steps that decide whether your file closes on time. Billed per file, no retainer.

Lawrence CountyEvery Pennsylvania county covered

At a glanceLawrence County, PA

Transfer tax2.0%realty transfer tax

Recording fee$87.75for a deed plus $20.00 per Parcel ID

PLS, per file$400contract to close, billed per file with no retainer

Figures from the sections below. Confirm with the issuing office before relying on one for a live file.

What we handle on a Lawrence County file

Lawrence County has 27 municipalities, and one of them drives most of the closing risk. The City of New Castle will not let a buyer occupy a property until the seller delivers a zoning certification and an Occupancy Permit or Temporary Occupancy Permit, and the application window is only 30 to 10 days before closing. At the county level, every recorded document needs a Parcel ID certified by the Assessment Office at $20.00 per parcel, and the Recorder charges a $5.00 fee on anything it rejects. The Register and Recorder stops taking transactions at 3:45. Once your deal is ratified, PLS builds and manages the file in KW Command, tracks every deadline and contingency, routes documents for signature, and coordinates with lender, title, attorneys, and the co-op agent. See the full transaction coordination service for the complete scope, and the Pennsylvania overview for statewide notes.

On every Lawrence County fileFrom ratified contract through settlement

KW Command fileBuilds and manages the file in KW Command.
Every deadlineTracks every deadline and contingency.
SignaturesRoutes documents for signature.
Every partyCoordinates with lender, title, attorneys, and the co-op agent.

Realty transfer tax in Lawrence County: 2.0%

Lawrence County is uniform: 1% to the Commonwealth, 0.5% to the municipality, and 0.5% to the school district. The Recorder of Deeds fee schedule states realty transfer tax as 1% state and 1% local. The City of New Castle's section 349.03(a) imposes 1%, and section 349.03(c) cuts the City's rate to one half where another political subdivision taxes the same transfer, which is how the city and the New Castle Area School District arrive at 0.5% each. The 2026 PA DCED tax register shows 0.5% municipal and 0.5% school district for the municipalities it lists, including the Lawrence County part of Ellwood City, with two exceptions: Mahoning Township and Wampum Borough each appear at 1.0% municipal and 1.0% school district, on two school district rows apiece. No ordinance setting a local rate above the county norm was found for either, and the Recorder's schedule states 1% local without exception. South New Castle Borough does not appear in the register export at all. For Mahoning Township, Wampum Borough, and South New Castle Borough, confirm the local rate with the Recorder at 724-656-2128 before you draft the settlement statement. An exempt transfer must be filed with a Statement of Value, form REV-183, which carries a $2.00 fee. If the property lies in more than one municipality, the deed must state the percentage in each so the Recorder can split the local tax. The common level ratio factor is 2.20 for documents accepted from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.

Where the 2% goesRealty transfer tax split, as described here

1%Commonwealth

0.5%Municipality

0.5%School district

Commonwealth1%
Municipality0.5%
School district0.5%

Recording a deed in Lawrence County

The Lawrence County Register and Recorder sits at Lawrence County Government Center, 430 Court Street, New Castle, PA 16101, 724-656-2128. The current recording fee is $87.75 for a deed plus $20.00 per Parcel ID, in effect since November 28, 2025. This is the current figure: the base fee for deeds and mortgages rose to $87.75 at 4:00 PM on November 28, 2025 when Act 45 of 2025 added $1.00 to the judicial computer, access to justice, and criminal justice enhancement fee, and the schedule dated June 30, 2026 carries the same number. The base covers up to 4 pages and up to 4 names. Each additional page is $2.00, each additional name is $0.50, and each notation over one on a document that refers back to a prior document is $2.00. Satisfactions, releases, assignments, and easements are $59.75, and each also takes the $20.00 Parcel ID fee. The schedule lists a $15.00 Act 152 of 2016 demolition fund charge among the components of the fee. The Recorder cannot accept more than 5 documents per recording fee check, charges a $5.00 rejection fee on every rejected document, and makes no refunds under $5.00. A self-addressed stamped envelope is required for return, or $2.00 postage and handling is added. The office is open 8:00 to 4:00, Monday through Friday, and the last transactions are accepted at 3:45. E-recording has been offered since 2012 through Simplifile, CSC, ePN, and Indecomm Global Services. The Recorder asks filers to call before recording to get the total fee.

Recording officeWhere the deed goes

OfficeLawrence County Register and Recorder
AddressLawrence County Government Center, 430 Court Street, New Castle, PA 16101
Phone724-656-2128
Deed recording fee$87.75 for a deed plus $20.00 per Parcel ID, in effect since November 28, 2025

A Parcel ID is required on all real estate documents under County Ordinance 102 of 1989, and it must be certified by the Assessment Office before recording. The Assessment Office calls the same number the Control Number. The certification fee is $20.00 for each Parcel ID in the instrument, set by County Resolution R-2023-481 amending Ordinance No. 116 of 2003, effective January 2, 2024, and it is paid at recording and can be included in the recording fee check payable to the Lawrence County Recorder of Deeds. A signed Certificate of Residence of the grantee must be on all deeds and mortgages. The legal description must name the municipality and county, the document date must be on or before the acknowledgement date, and a rejected document costs $5.00. Assessment is at 724-656-1938.

Recording fees and transfer tax rates for every county we coordinate in are collected side by side on our recording fee and transfer tax reference.

What actually holds up a closing here

New Castle requires a zoning certification and an Occupancy Permit before the buyer can occupy

The City of New Castle requires the seller to deliver two things at or before settlement: a certification of the zoning district classification and legality of the existing use, and an Occupancy Permit or Temporary Occupancy Permit issued after an inspection by the Code Enforcement Department. Section 1743A.02 of the City Code, enacted by Ordinance 8347 on October 8, 2020, says no purchaser shall occupy or permit occupancy of the property without them. The owner must apply and pay the fee no sooner than 30 days and no later than 10 days before the date set for closing. Under section 1743A.05 the fee is $150 for a residential property of 2 or fewer units, $150 plus $25 for each additional unit for 3 or more units, $250 for commercial under 4,000 square feet, $400 for larger commercial and industrial, and $50 for an adjacent parcel with no structures, with a $35 no show fee. The fee is non-refundable, includes one re-inspection and the zoning certification, and must be paid in full before the inspection is scheduled. The permit is valid for one transfer of ownership for up to 180 days. Code Enforcement is in the Municipal Building at 230 North Jefferson Street, 724-656-3539.

A New Castle Temporary Occupancy Permit hands the repair list to the buyer for 180 days

A Temporary Occupancy Permit in New Castle lets the sale close with open property maintenance violations and makes the buyer responsible for correcting them. The City Code defines it as a permit to use and occupy the property on a temporary, conditional basis for a period of 180 days, and it lists every violation found. The purchaser must apply for re-inspection no later than 30 days before the permit expires. One extension of 180 days is available on a showing of good faith effort, at a fee of $100 for a residential property of 2 or fewer units, $100 plus $25 for each additional unit for 3 or more units, and $250 or $400 for commercial and industrial property. Section 1743A.06 requires the purchaser's name on the application to match the name on the recorded deed, so a late change of vesting to an LLC needs a corrected application. The same section tells the purchaser to contact Code Enforcement immediately to find out whether the property is on the demolition list. Put the violation list in front of the buyer before the inspection contingency expires, not at the table.

New Castle tax sale purchases get their own occupancy permit clock

Section 1743A.07 of the New Castle City Code applies a separate procedure to properties acquired through an upset tax sale, a judicial free and clear sale, or a repository sale under the Real Estate Tax Sale Law. The purchaser must apply for the permit and schedule the inspection within 30 days of recording of the deed. If violations exist, the Temporary Occupancy Permit allows 360 days to correct them on a residential property and 540 days on a commercial or industrial property, and the section states that no additional extensions may be granted. A purchaser who fails to correct the violations is in violation of the article and the temporary permit is revoked. Investors who then resell inside that window still need a new application and fee for the next transfer, because each permit is valid for one transfer of ownership.

The Recorder rejects documents for a short list of avoidable defects

The Lawrence County Recorder publishes a checklist with its fee schedule, and each miss costs a $5.00 rejection fee plus the delay. Every real estate document needs a certified Parcel ID at $20.00 per parcel, a legal description that names the municipality and county, a return name and address, and a complete acknowledgement with a legible notary expiration date stamp. Deeds and mortgages need a signed Certificate of Residence of the grantee. A property in more than one municipality must state the percentage in each. Documents that refer back to an original must show its document number or book and page. A correction deed must reference the document being corrected, state the reason, and include a Statement of Value and a copy of the deed being corrected. A re-recorded document needs a new acknowledgement and an explanation. The office does not accept blanket assignments or blanket releases without special fees, and it will not take more than 5 documents on one recording fee check.

Non-owner-occupant buyers file an Act 29 contact form with Assessment within 30 days

The Lawrence County Assessment Office publishes a Property Owner Contact Information Form and a plain-English guide for Act 29 of 2026, which added Chapter 25 to Title 68 effective September 18, 2026. For a covered property purchased after the effective date, the owner must submit contact information to the chief assessor within 30 days of purchase and update it within 30 days after a change. Owner-occupied principal residences are exempt, and the county guide lists rental and investment property, LLC-owned property, and corporate-owned property as covered. A business or LLC must also name an individual with the authority and ability to repair, maintain, or remedy a code violation at the property. Under the statute a county may levy a fine of up to $500 only where an owner or the owner's representative intentionally or knowingly provides false or incorrect contact information or intentionally or knowingly fails to update it. The form can be returned to the Assessment Office at 430 Court Street, New Castle, or entered through the online link printed on the form. Assessment is at 724-656-1938.

County tax certifications come from the Treasurer, in writing, by parcel number

The Lawrence County Treasurer issues county tax certifications on written request that includes the homeowner, the address, and the parcel or permanent ID number, not the map number. The Treasurer's fee sheet, last updated January 3, 2022, lists $10.00 per parcel by mail and $15.00 per parcel by fax or email, with a self-addressed stamped envelope and a check payable to the Lawrence County Treasurer, and it also offers online ordering. The Treasurer does not collect prior year delinquent taxes, which go through the Tax Claim Bureau at 724-656-2125, and it directs filers to the local tax collectors for municipal and school taxes. That makes three separate orders on most files. The Treasurer will not accept a payoff accompanied by a third-party data trace certification or a memorandum tax bill: it needs an original or duplicate bill or its own certification. The office asks filers to call 724-656-2124 for a status before sending a tax payment.

Pricing

Transaction coordination in Pennsylvania is billed per file, not as a monthly retainer. Contract to close is $400 per transaction, and the full rate card including dual agency, transaction licensee, unrepresented party (FSBO or URB), and listing management is published on our pricing page. No fixed overhead, no minimum volume.

Contract to close$400per transaction, billed per file

Listing management$150per listing, from the published rate card

Retainer$0no fixed overhead, no minimum volume

Where these figures come from

The county-level figures on this page come from the official sources listed below. Municipal fees and deadlines come from each municipality's own published schedules and ordinances, which are revised more often than they are archived. We publish what we could verify and leave out what we could not. Fees and ordinances change; if you are relying on a figure here for a live file, confirm it with the issuing office, and tell us if you find a discrepancy so we can correct the page.

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FAQ

Lawrence County questions.

Do you provide transaction coordination in Lawrence County, PA?

Yes. Precision Leverage Solutions works exclusively with Keller Williams agents and coordinates transactions throughout Lawrence County and the rest of Pennsylvania, from the ratified contract through settlement. We also serve KW agents in New Jersey and Delaware. Pricing is per file with no retainer.

What is the realty transfer tax in Lawrence County?

How much does it cost to record a deed in Lawrence County?

$87.75 for a deed plus $20.00 per Parcel ID, in effect since November 28, 2025, through the Lawrence County Register and Recorder. This is the current figure: the base fee for deeds and mortgages rose to $87.75 at 4:00 PM on November 28, 2025 when Act 45 of 2025 added $1.00 to the judicial computer, access to justice, and criminal justice enhancement fee, and the schedule dated June 30, 2026 carries the same number. The base covers up to 4 pages and up to 4 names. Each additional page is $2.00, each additional name is $0.50, and each notation over one on a document that refers back to a prior document is $2.00. Satisfactions, releases, assignments, and easements are $59.75, and each also takes the $20.00 Parcel ID fee. The schedule lists a $15.00 Act 152 of 2016 demolition fund charge among the components of the fee. The Recorder cannot accept more than 5 documents per recording fee check, charges a $5.00 rejection fee on every rejected document, and makes no refunds under $5.00. A self-addressed stamped envelope is required for return, or $2.00 postage and handling is added. The office is open 8:00 to 4:00, Monday through Friday, and the last transactions are accepted at 3:45. E-recording has been offered since 2012 through Simplifile, CSC, ePN, and Indecomm Global Services. The Recorder asks filers to call before recording to get the total fee.

How much does a transaction coordinator cost in Lawrence County?

Contract-to-close coordination is $400 per transaction in Pennsylvania. Dual agency, transaction licensee service, unrepresented party coordination (FSBO or URB), multi-unit transactions, and listing management are each priced separately and published in full on our pricing page. There are no monthly fees, retainers, or minimum volume requirements.

Does the City of New Castle require an occupancy permit when a property is sold?

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