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<p>While Luzerne County&#8217;s property assessment database is still down due to a cyber attack, the administration has figured out a way to access other software programs so it can restart the recording of deeds and other real estate transactions, county Manager C. David Pedri announced Wednesday.</p><p>The shutdown of the assessment database prevented workers from generating certified property identification numbers, or PINs, needed to officially process real estate sales and transfers and mortgage filings.</p><p>Pedri said the PINs will be obtained from other programs until the assessment database is restored.</p><p>Deed office employees will receive overtime and work through the weekend to process and record backlogged filings in the order they had been submitted, Pedri said.</p><p>He encouraged those with new real estate filings to submit them electronically or in the office so they can be added to the queue.</p><p>&#8220;We wanted to get these real estate filings moving today,&#8221; Pedri said.</p><p>A representative of the Luzerne County Association of Realtors said earlier this week the three-week shutdown was &#8220;messing with people&#8217;s lives.&#8221;</p><p>Courthouse computers and servers were shut down after the attack was discovered over the Memorial Day weekend to prevent the virus from spreading, and most access has been restored, officials said.</p><p>Pedri said he does not want to provide a target date for reactivation of the assessment database due to continued hurdles encountered by employees and consultants working on the matter.</p><p>County Administrative Services Division Head David Parsnik said Wednesday a correct version of the database files has been located, but workers can&#8217;t open the files to retrieve the necessary data.</p><p>As a result, the county was in the process Wednesday of providing the files to an outside company that specializes in forensic retrieval, he said. If this company succeeds, the extracted files must then be reviewed and loaded, which takes 10 to 12 hours due to the massive amount of data, he said.</p><p>The database contains property descriptions and assessment history for more than 167,800 parcels. Assessment workers can&#8217;t update ownership or changes from property added and deleted from the tax rolls until the database is operational.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/web1_Pedri1cmyk.jpeg-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Pedri </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/web1_Pedri1cmyk.jpeg-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Pedri </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jennifer Learn-Andes</p><p>jandes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Luzerne County now processing deeds and other real estate transactions impacted by cyber attack