7. a. The county treasurer shall return to the county clerk or the register of deeds and mortgages $2.00 of each fee received for the recording, filing or cancelling of a document in the office of the county clerk or register of deeds and mortgages. Such sums shall be returned within 10 days of receipt of the fee by the county treasurer.

b. Monies received by the county clerks or registers of deeds and mortgages pursuant to the provisions of subsection a. shall be used to upgrade and modernize the services provided by their offices.

c. The provisions of subsection a. shall not apply to fees received from municipalities for recording, filing or cancelling documents.

d. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, monies received by a county clerk attributable solely to the amount of fee increases for services enumerated in N.J.S. 22A:2-29 pursuant to the amendments set forth in section 2 of P.L.2001, c.370 and enumerated in section 2 of P.L.1965, c.123 (C. 22A:4-4.1) pursuant to the amendments set forth in section 4 of P.L.2001, c.370, that exceed in any year the amount by which the annual minimum salary of the county clerk fixed pursuant to N.J.S. 40A:9-76 exceeds the amount of the county clerk’s salary in effect on November 1, 2000, shall be used for budgetary reduction by the county and shall be reflected as a county tax levy reduction.

e. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, monies received by a register of deeds and mortgages attributable solely to the amount of fee increases for services enumerated in section 2 of P.L.1965, c.123 (C. 22A:4-4.1) pursuant to the amendments set forth in section 4 of P.L.2001, c.370 that exceed in any year the amount by which the annual minimum salary of the register of deeds and mortgages fixed pursuant to N.J.S. 40A:9-92 exceeds the amount of the salary of the register of deeds and mortgages in effect on November 1, 2000, shall be used for budgetary reduction by the county and shall be reflected as a county tax levy reduction.

L.1985,c.422,s.7; amended 1989, c.301, s.1; 2001, c.370, s.9.