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- $7B County GDP
- $62,820 GDP per Capita
Ontario County
Ontario County
Ontario County is in the Finger Lakes region southeast of Rochester, anchored by Canandaigua (county seat and largest city). The economy mixes wine and vineyard tourism (Canandaigua Lake, Seneca Lake), Constellation Brands HQ, Hobart and William Smith Colleges (Geneva), F.F. Thompson Health, Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack, and agriculture. The County Clerk operates from 20 Ontario Street.
Property in Ontario
What every owner, heir, and investor should know.
Owning a home in Ontario.
Ontario is a moderate-cost Finger Lakes market with strong second-home and lakefront demand.
- STAR / Enhanced STAR, senior, veteran, and agricultural exemptions apply.
- Property tax cycle: school bills September; county/town bills January.
- Canandaigua and Geneva reassess periodically.
- Tax-foreclosure redemption under RPTL Article 11 (two-year window).
- Foreclosure surplus rights under RPAPL § 1361.
- Watch for lakefront flood overlays, vineyard agricultural districts, and STR rules.
Investing in Ontario.
Ontario offers Finger Lakes lakefront and STR upside, college-town rental demand in Geneva, and steady rural land plays.
- Tax-foreclosure auctions run by the County Treasurer (annual).
- Judicial foreclosure auctions held at the Ontario County Courthouse, Canandaigua.
- Land records search via Ontario County Clerk online records.
- Real Property parcel lookup at ontariocountyny.gov.
- NYSCEF case search for lis pendens.
- Watch for vineyard agricultural assessments, lakefront overlays, and STR ordinances.
After a Ontario foreclosure or tax deed sale.
Ontario uses New York's judicial foreclosure process and runs in rem tax foreclosure under RPTL Article 11.
- Mortgage foreclosures filed in Supreme Court, 7th Judicial District.
- Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale executed by court-appointed Referee.
- Surplus money proceedings under RPAPL § 1361.
- County Treasurer holds annual tax-foreclosure auction.
- Post-Tyler v. Hennepin reforms require return of tax-foreclosure surplus to former owner.
- Notices published in the Daily Messenger and Finger Lakes Times.
Courts and records in Ontario.
- Ontario County Courthouse — 27 N Main Street, Canandaigua, NY 14424 — 7th Judicial District
- County Office Building — 20 Ontario Street, Canandaigua (County Clerk)
- Supreme Court & County Court — Ontario County Courthouse
- Family Court — 27 N Main Street, Canandaigua
- Surrogate's Court — 27 N Main Street, Canandaigua
- 7th Judicial District (Cayuga, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, Yates)
- Appellate Division, 4th Department — 50 East Avenue, Rochester
- County Clerk — 20 Ontario Street — (585) 396-4200 — ontariocountyny.gov
- Real Property Department — 20 Ontario Street — (585) 396-4382
- County Treasurer — 20 Ontario Street — (585) 396-4432
- Sheriff — 74 Ontario Street, Canandaigua — (585) 396-4683