The number of liens and judgments filed in the Butler County Prothonotary’s office hit a five-year high.

Prothonotary Glenna Walters said her office logged 2,651 new cases in 2018.

In 2017, the number of cases was 2,247; in 2016 it was 2,130; in 2015 it was 2,231 and in 2014 it was 2,240.

The prothonotary’s office is responsible to record and store case information, but it is not responsible for the case generation or contents. Therefore, Walters said she does not know what caused the increase.

However, she said anecdotally, her office staff saw what she deemed a “substantial increase” in new cases filed by the state midway and late in the year.

“They were coming in 30, 40 and even 50 liens at a time,” she said. “That’s is unusual.”

Trevor Monk, deputy communications director for the state Department of Revenue issued this written response: “The department has made the lien filing process more efficient in recent years, including a transition to an automated system to replace a very manual process.

“As a result of these efficiency improvements, the number of liens filed is at a five-year high. The change in the number of liens filed in Butler Country is consistent with the rest of the state.

“A lien protects the commonwealth’s interest in an overdue tax liability and must be filed for the department to pursue other enforcement options such as wage garnishment, sales tax citation and administrative bank attachment. The lien also secures the debt in bankruptcy.”

According to it’s website, the state Department of Revenue files a lien when an individual or business has unpaid delinquent taxes. The lien ensures the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is listed as a priority creditor that must be paid before other financial transactions can take place like home sales, business transfers, or loans.

A lien allows the department to pursue progressive tax enforcement strategies such as wage garnishment, sales tax and employer withholding citations, and administrative bank attachment.