In New Jersey our searchers will only search for items in the county clerk's/Registers office and the county surrogate's office if there is an estate issue in the chain.  Our court judgments are recorded with the New Jersey Administrative Office of the Courts, so they are not available at the courthouse.  For a judgment to attach to real estate, a judgment obtained at a NJ Superior Court in the county, isn't perfected until filed in the state office.  In New Jersey there are a number of services that will give you what is known as an upper court search for judgments and the same companies usually also do municipal tax reports for municipal tax liens and public utilities.  My guess is you encountered a New Jersey searcher who is only used to searching two places.

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