N.Y. Real Prop. Acts. Law § 371

§ 371. Petitions and proceedings to be in supreme court; title part of\nspecial term. The petition for registration must be made to the supreme\ncourt; or to a justice thereof, sitting at a special term in any of the\ncounties within the judicial department where the property is situated,\nand for that purpose said court shall be always open; and its orders,\njudgments and decrees in cases coming under this article may be made and\nentered as well in vacation as in term time. The proceedings upon such\npetitions shall have the effect of proceedings in rem against the land,\nand the final orders shall have the effect of final judgments in an\naction and shall operate directly on the land and vest and establish\ntitle thereto. An issue raised in such a case shall be tried at a\nspecial term of said court, in the county in which the petition is\nfiled, by the court, except that an issue of fact may be tried by a\njury, in the manner prescribed by the civil practice law and rules. When\nin any county the amount of business under this article makes it\nnecessary or proper that such business should be attended to by one or\nmore justices of said court assigned for that purpose, the appellate\ndivision of the judicial department in which such county is situated\nshall designate as many justices as may be deemed necessary, to\nconstitute the "title part" of the special term in that court; and said\nappellate division shall provide by rules of practice for the conduct,\nin said title part, of the business coming under this article in such\ncounty. Said appellate division may assign one or more additional\njustices to said "title part" of the special term, or withdraw one or\nmore justices therefrom, as the business coming under this article may\nrequire and the availability of the supreme court justices make proper.\nOne of the justices so assigned to the "title part" of the special term\nin any county shall be designated by said appellate division to have\ngeneral supervision and control of the business coming under this\narticle in that county; and so far as is reasonably possible, such\ndesignation shall remain unchanged, and such justice shall be retained\ncontinuously in such term and part during his term of office unless in\nthe opinion of the appellate division a change is required for the\nbetter enforcement or working of this law. One and the same justice may\nbe assigned so as to have such general supervision and control in two or\nmore counties of the judicial district for which he is elected. Other\nduties may be assigned by such appellate division to such justice,\nprovided that they do not interfere with his work in supervising and\ncontrolling the business coming under this article. The justice\nassigned, as herein provided, to have general supervision and control of\nthe business coming under the article in any county, shall also have\ngeneral supervision and control of all the official examiners within\nsuch county and it shall be his duty to observe and supervise their work\nas such official examiners, to advise them when necessary and to make\nany suggestions or recommendations to the appellate division with\nrespect to discipline, suspension or removal of any of them as to him\nmay seem necessary or proper in the interests of the successful\noperation of this law.\n