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The Erie County Clerk’s office is expecting a busy few days as buyers and sellers work to close on residential and commercial real estate deals before the end of the year.
The office was closed on Dec. 23 and 27 due to the blizzard. It had already been scheduled to be closed on Dec. 24, 26 and 31 and Jan. 2 for the union-contracted holidays.
Michael Cecchini, deputy Erie County Clerk for Media and Community Relations, said preparations are being made to have the office fully staffed when it is allowed to reopen. It is unclear when that will happen.
“I fully expect we will be very busy, especially Friday,” Cecchini said. "But we can handle the workload."
Closings can be filed electronically, but "someone needs to be there (in the clerk's office) to receive and record them," said Adam Walters, a Phillips Lytle LLP partner.
“In some cases, there may be some repercussions if deals can’t close by Dec. 30," he said. "This could turn into a significant issue.”
Nick Ingrassia, Gross Shuman P.C. partner, said he had two clients coming to his Amherst house on Dec. 27 to sign papers as he hopes to complete their respective closings by Dec. 30.
“The timing of the storm actually wasn’t too bad in terms of (real estate) closings,” Ingrassia said. "That said, I do have clients who want deals done and recorded by the end of the year.”
M.J. Peterson Real Estate Corp.’s Terri Campbell, who specializes in residential deals, said people who chose to close deals the last week in December “are doing so out of a need, not a want.”
“The storm is just exacerbating things in terms of closings,” Campbell said. “Closings will be overflowing.”
Robert Stewart, Pyramid Brokerage of Buffalo broker, said he has had a couple of closings delayed by the blizzard.
“Normally, they would want to close by now, but they understand the situation and we’ve pushed things back two weeks,” Stewart said. “It’s not ideal, but people understand why some deals and closings have had to hit the pause button.”