Source: https://www.sccourts.org/clerkOfCourtManual/displaychapter.cfm?chapter=8
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 16:44:44+00:00

Document:
This chapter is designed to serve as a general reference of the duties and activities that may occur in the Register of Deeds (ROD) office. While the intent is to provide a useful tool of the basic procedures for active ROD’s, it is also understood that each county may have their own set of policies, practices, and ordinances that they adhere to, in addition to State statute. Please consult your county attorney, SC Court Administration, or the SC Code of Laws, for clarification on any item contained in this chapter.
The Register of Deeds exists as a separate governmental office in 23 counties in South Carolina. In the remaining 23 counties, the ROD functions are performed by the elected Clerk of Court.
The duties of the ROD are provided for in Title 30, Chapter 5 of the S.C. Code of Laws. The proper recording of documents provides notice to subsequent purchasers or creditors of the interests of others in the property and establishes priority of claims against that property. Generally, all instruments conveying an interest in real property must be recorded in that county’s ROD in order to be valid. Other documents of public interest may also be recorded by the ROD.
Recording and indexing federal tax liens.
Recording powers of attorney and certificate of trusts.
Recording UCC financing statements regarding real estate.
As stated earlier, each county may have their own additional practices that they follow. Any recording duty omitted from the above lists is not intentional.
Signature of the Party of the First Part. i.e. Grantor/Seller, Mortgagor/Borrower, etc.
A South Carolina Probate or Acknowledgement.
Subsequent documents such as releases, satisfactions, etc. require a “parent” or original book and page number.
Exceptions/additional requirements are noted. All listed should be relatively consistent in all counties.
However, some interpretations may vary slightly.
Recording requirements are pursuant to Title 30 of the SC Code of Laws. Recording fees are pursuant to S.C. Code § 8-21-310.
Verification that the pre-requisites to recording have been met.
NOTE: The recording pre-requisites are fairly simple: in order to be recorded, an instrument must be signed by the grantor, mortgagor, vendor, lessor or maker in the presence of two witnesses and taken before a notary. (See Section 8.3 for exceptions/additional requirements.) Beyond this, the degree of verification varies from county to county. Ultimately, it is up to the courts to determine the validity of any document.
Collection of appropriate recording and documentary fees and notation on the instrument that the fees were paid.
Entry on document of the date, hour and minute document was presented for filing.
Assignment of a book and page location of the instrument. Note: After filing, the ROD must allow its land records to be inspected by the public. The documents are to bear a "book and page number" which indicate the recording location. Since instruments inspected by the public may be photocopies, microfilm, or digital images, the "book and page number" refers to the document location in either a book, a roll of microfilm, and/or a computer data base. Indices of the instruments are to be created to ease public inspection and they may be computer generated.
Entry of recording upon proper indexes.
Endorsement of a certificate on the instrument showing the date, book and page where recorded.
Processing of the document into a permanent record, by photocopy, microfilm or digital imaging, and place conspicuously for public inspection. An original roll of security film must be created and deposited with the S.C. Department of Archives and History (SCDAH) for all records. For more details, contact the Microfilm Lab at the SCDAH at 803-896-6209.
Return of original instrument to recording party.
Once the original instrument has been recorded, subsequent recordings such as satisfactions, assignments, cancellations and releases must be noted in the proper indexes and books so that notice of the current status of title in that property is evident. Willful violation of this requirement may result in fine or imprisonment sanctions.
Maintain a separate index in which all cancellations and other releases are recorded.
Tax Liens – includes all tax liens, State, Federal, Employment Commission liens as well as subsequent documents to the original such as Satisfactions, etc.
Although there are no statutes that speak to proper indexing of names for the Register of Deeds offices, each office should establish “rules” for indexing in order to maintain consistency both for employees of the office and for regular users. These should be posted in a conspicuous manner in the Register’s office. Following are suggested rules that can be conformed to meet the needs of each office and are based on Property Records Industry Association standards.
The following indexing standards are effective as of _______ and are hereby adopted for the County of _________________, Register of Deeds office where proper indexing is vital for location of documents.
SEARCHERS ARE ALWAYS ADVISED TO SEARCH ALL POSSIBLE VARIATIONS AND TO RELY UPON ACTUAL DOCUMENTS. ANY INDEXING PRIOR TO THE ABOVE DATE MAY NOT APPLY.
Never change a name on a document.
All signed names of parties on a document will be indexed. In the cases where signatures are not required or do not appear for various reasons (e.g. name of mortgagee), all human and organization names on the document will be indexed. In the case of a person unable to sign their full name and he or she makes an “X” or some other type of mark, the name typed under the mark will be indexed.
Punctuation is never used with exceptions as noted.
When indexing a Trustee, both the human and trust, church or organization name will be indexed. For example: Mary Smith, Trustee for the Smith Family Trust is indexed under SMITH MARY TRUSTEE (human name) and SMITH FAMILY TRUST (organization name). In the example: Mary Smith, Trustee for Trust B, Trust B will not be indexed.
Compound names contain no hyphens. Hyphens are replaced with spaces so that Mary Sue Rogers-Johnson is indexed: first: MARY middle: SUE surname: ROGERS JOHNSON and will not be indexed under JOHNSON. In the case of Mary Sue Rogers Johnson (no hyphen) both Sue and Rogers will be indexed as middle names and Johnson will be indexed as the last name.
All foreign names are assumed to have a given name (or names) and a surname. Thus, Ah Ho Chen is indexed, first: AH middle: HO surname: CHEN. Also, Hamid Al-Sarras is indexed: first: HAMID, surname: AL SARRAS. No foreign symbols or accent marks are used.
The full name of the party is indexed as it appears on the document. No abbreviation will be used unless the names are abbreviated on the document.
When the signature is legible, the signature governs the indexing. When the signature is not legible, the printed or typed name under the signature governs the indexing. In a case where the typed name below the signature conflicts with the signature, index both ways.
Surnames that begin with “Mc” such as McDonald and Mc Coy will be entered without spaces regardless of how the name appears on the document.
One initial is considered a given name. Two initials are considered as two given names. Thus, M. L. Jones is entered: first: M middle: L surname: JONES.
All titles such as Dr. or Rev. will be dropped.
Suffixes such as Jr. or Sr. will be entered after the given name(s) or in the suffix field for computer systems that allow this type of search option.
Never convert a roman numeral to a number. Never spell out a number or numeral. And never convert a number that is spelled out. These will be entered as presented on the document.
The, An and A are never indexed. These are dropped.
Fractions in an organization name are separated by a slash (/). Thus, 7 5/8 Company is entered: 7 5/8 COMPANY.
Organization names containing the words Mount, Mt., Saint or St. are entered as they appear on the document and are never converted to either the full or abbreviated form.
• give counties the legal authorization they need to dispose regularly of their obsolete records.
A records retention schedule describes one or several records series, shows the length of time the records should be retained, and indicates their final disposition. Schedules are of two types — specific and general.
your county; your county’s name will appear on these.
General Records Retention Schedules — these schedules are state regulations issued by the S.C. Department of Archives and History and are published in the Code of Laws of South Carolina 1976, as amended. When a general schedule applies to records already covered under a specific schedule, the general schedule will supersede the specific schedule unless you wish to opt out of using the general schedule.
“Microfilm Optional” — Microfilm may be substituted for the original records IF the microfilm meets state standards (see S.C. Code of Regulations §R-12-200). Before you destroy the originals, you must submit to the State Archives and have approved a Microfilm Quality Certification for Records Disposition form.
“Permanent. Microfilm for security” — You cannot destroy the original records after microfilming.
S.C. Code of Regulations § R-12-500. Introduction and general matters; application of schedule.
order to avoid conflict with other laws or regulations.
execution, month, day and year of recordation, number of acres or lots and a description of the land.
B. Retention: Permanent. Microfilm for security.
property. Information includes grantor, grantee, location and description of land, monetary consideration, encumbrances (if any), signature of grantor, notary, and witnesses (or facsimiles thereof), date recorded, and plats (where applicable).
B. Retention: Permanent. Microfilm optional.
date surveyed, volume and page number, property location, description, map number.
A. Description: Documents the legal survey and mapping of lands for grants and conveyances.
property owners, date of recording, and plat.
includes name of party, book and page number.
agreements, and notices of intent to petition.
S.C. Code of Regulations § R-12-501.9. Index to Uniform Commercial Code Financing Statements.
debt, date of maturity, character of debt, and description of personal property pledged.
B. Retention: 1 year after all entries have been terminated or lapsed, then destroy.
officer, types of property covered, signature of party and signature of clerk.
then be destroyed one year after termination statement has been filed.
capital, stock, increases in capital stock and cancellations.
replaced by Uniform Commercial Code Financing Statements.
Commission regulated utilities: Until termination statement is filed, then destroy.
taxpayer, date of filing, hour of filing, and amount of tax with interest.
and demand, date signed, and signature of tax official.
B. Retention: 10 years, then destroy.
date assigned, and signature of tax official.
includes name of plaintiff, name of defendant, and file number.
been entered upon the registry, then destroy.
S.C. Code § 12-24-10 imposes a “deed recording fee” formerly known as documentary tax, on the recording of a deed in which any lands and all improvements on the land, tenements, or other realty is transferred to another person. The deed recording fee is one dollar and eighty-five cents for each five hundred dollars, or fractional part of five hundred dollars, of the realty’s “value” as determined by S.C. Code § 2-24-30. (State portion $1.10 – County portion - $0.55) The general exception is an instrument or a deed conveying property to a distributee of a decedent’s estate pursuant to S.C. Code § 62-3-907.
Or, by using an electronic funds transfer method.
Please be advised that Deed Recording Fee Return (form L-2125) is due to the SCDOR by the 20th of each month even if an electronic funds transfer is made.
All records of collection must be maintained in-office for a period of five years.
Recording instruments without meeting the prescribed requirements may carry penalties pursuant to S.C. Code § 12-24-120.
“Value” is defined for the purpose of deed recording fee calculation, as the consideration paid or to be paid in money or in money’s worth for realty including other realty, personal property, stocks, bonds, partnership interest, and other tangible property, the forgiveness or cancellation of a debt, assumption of a debt, and surrendering of a right. The fair market value of the consideration must be used in calculating the consideration paid in money’s worth. The fair market value of the realty may be used to determine the fair market value of the consideration.
A deduction from value is allowed for any encumbrance that remains on the property after the transfer.
The fair market value determined for County tax purposes may be used to determine fair market value for deed recording fee purposes.
Below is a list of exemptions to the deed recording fee provided for by the SCDOR. For more detailed information or further explanation, please refer to the South Carolina Department of Revenue Deed Recording Fee Manual (2007 Edition) at www.sctax.org or by calling the SCDOR Deed Recording Fee representative at (803) 896-1970.
(12) that constitute a corrective deed or a quitclaim deed used to confirm title already vested in the grantee, provided that no consideration of any kind is paid or is to be paid under the corrective or quitclaim deed.
(13) transferring realty subject to a mortgage to the mortgagee whether by a deed in lieu of foreclosure executed by the mortgagor or deed executed pursuant to foreclosure proceedings.
(14) transferring realty from an agent to the agent’s principal in which the realty was purchased with funds of the principal, provided that a notarized document is also filed with the deed that establishes the fact that the agent and principal relationship existed at the time of the original purchase as well as for the purpose of purchasing the realty.
Based on the above, the deed recording fee is imposed for the privilege of recording a deed based on the transaction of transferring realty from one person to another person.
(c) the fair market value for property tax purposes of the realty being transferred.
(b) the fair market value for property tax purposes of the realty being transferred.
It should also be noted that a “deduction from value is allowed for the amount of any lien or encumbrance existing on the land, tenement, or realty before the transfer and remaining on the land, tenement, or realty after the transfer.” As such, when the fair market value of the realty being transferred is used to calculate the fee, the value of the lien or encumbrance qualifying for this deduction may be deducted from the realty’s fair market value before calculating the deed recording fee due.
An affidavit to be filed with a deed and that affidavit must show the value of the realty. For deeds exempt under the law, the value will not be required to be stated on the affidavit. Such affidavits must state the reason why the deed is exempt from the fee. The affidavit required by this section must be signed by a responsible person connected with the transaction and the affidavit must state that connection. Secretaries, paralegals, runners, other administrative personnel do not qualify as a “responsible person connected with the transaction” and, therefore, may not sign the affidavit.
The clerk of court or register of deeds shall file these affidavits in his office.
A person required to furnish the affidavit who willfully furnishes a false or fraudulent affidavit is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
The following outlines the procedure for seeking a refund when a taxpayer believes he has overpaid the deed recording fee with respect to a particular deed.
The new deed recording fee requires that each deed have a notation placed upon it by the Clerk of Court or the Register of Deeds (“ROD”). This notation must include the date the deed was filed, the fee collected, and any other information the county may require. The notation must state “Exempt” if the transaction falls within one of the exemptions provided under S.C. Code § 12-24-40.
The original deed and the original affidavit (if the requirement for the affidavit has not been waived by the clerk or register) must be presented to the Clerk of Court or ROD. The Clerk or ROD will verify that the notation on the deed is the notation placed on the deed by the Clerk or ROD. The Clerk or ROD will then sign a letter or form verifying that the notation is authentic and present this to the taxpayer.
All refund requests received without the notation verification letter or form will be sent back to the taxpayer with a letter stating that the notation must first be verified by the Clerk or ROD and that the refund request must contain the verification letter or form. Refunds will also not be issued unless the Department receives the original deed and the original affidavit (unless the requirement for the affidavit has been previously waived by the Clerk or ROD).
3. If a refund is due, the Department will refund the State portion to the taxpayer and issue an order to the Clerk or ROD to refund the taxpayer the county portion of the fee. The Clerk or ROD should not issue a refund for the county portion of the fee unless they have received a refund order from the Department of Revenue. The Department, prior to returning the original deed and other documentation to the taxpayer, will note on the deed the date of the refund and the amount of the refund issued/ordered.
4. If the Department determines a refund is not due, the Department will advise the taxpayer. The taxpayer may appeal this denial of the refund under the provisions of S.C. Code §§ 12-60-470 and 12-24-150.
It is recommended that copies of this refund procedure be made available to taxpayers seeking a refund and/or posted at the office of the ROD or Clerk of Court.
On October 18, 2016, Court Administration sent a memorandum to the Clerks of Court, Registers of Deeds and judges regarding fraudulent or sham legal documents that are filed with their offices. The memorandum included information from SLED that may be used as a reference tool in the handling of sham or fraudulent documents that are presented for filing or court action. You may access this memorandum at the following link: October 18, 2016 Memorandum.
1. Documents that are determined to be illegitimate court documents should not be accepted for filing. S.C. Code § 30-9-30(B)(1) provides statutory guidance for handling such documents. If the document bears the elements indicating a fraudulent filing (for example, alleging a fictional court such as a federal tribal circuit court or status derived from entities not recognized by the United States) and the clerk of court or the register of deeds reasonably believes that the document is materially false or fraudulent or is a sham legal process, the clerk of court or register of deeds may refuse to accept the document for filing.
2. If a clerk of court or register of deeds refuses to accept an illegitimate document for filing, S.C. Code §30-9-30(B)(1) requires that the clerk of court or register of deeds provide the person attempting to file the document with written notice that the filing has been refused pursuant to this section of the S.C. Code. Within 30 days of written notice of such refusal, the person presenting the document may commence a suit in a state court of competent jurisdiction requiring the clerk of court or the register of deeds to accept the document for filing.
3. Section 30-9-30(B)(2) provides that a document previously accepted and filed but subsequently determined to be a fraudulent document may be removed from the public record after giving 30 days written notice to the person on whose behalf the document was filed. Within 30 days of written notice of the proposed removal, the person provided the notice may commence a suit in a state court of competent jurisdiction preventing the clerk of court or register of deeds from removing the document.
4. If a clerk of court or register of deeds is not clear as to whether the document is fraudulent, it should be accepted for filing and subject to review by the court.
Persons knowingly presenting documents in connection with a sham legal process may be subject to criminal prosecution, not only under the Federal Mail Fraud Statute, but also under S.C. Sham Legal Documents Statute (Section 16-17-735), and such action may amount to obstruction of justice if they purport to prevent a South Carolina court from exercising its jurisdiction.
S. C. Code Ann. § 30-9-30 is provided below for your reference.
(A) Except as otherwise provided by statute, each clerk of court and register of deeds in this State shall keep a record, in the office in which he files all conveyances, mortgages, judgments, liens, contracts, and papers relating to real and personal property required by statute to be kept by him, by entering in the record the names of the grantor and grantee, mortgagor and mortgagee, obligor and obligee, or other parties to the written instruments, date of filing, and nature of the instrument immediately upon its lodgment for record. The filing is notice to all persons, sufficient to put them upon inquiry of the purport of the filed instrument and the property affected by the instrument. A return address must be provided on each conveyance, mortgage, judgment, lien, contract, or other document submitted for filing with the clerk of court or register of deeds. A document may be refused for filing if it lacks a complete return address.
(B)(1) If a person presents a conveyance, mortgage, judgment, lien, contract, or other document to the clerk of court or the register of deeds for filing or recording, the clerk of court or the register of deeds may refuse to accept the document for filing if he reasonably believes that the document is materially false or fraudulent or is a sham legal process. Within thirty days of a written notice of such refusal, the person presenting the document may commence a suit in a state court of competent jurisdiction requiring the clerk of court or the register of deeds to accept the document for filing.
(2) If the clerk of court or the register of deeds reasonably believes that a conveyance, mortgage, judgment, lien, contract, or other document is materially false or fraudulent, or is a sham legal process, the clerk of court or the register of deeds may remove the document from the public records after giving thirty days' written notice to the person on whose behalf the document was filed at the return address provided in the document. Within thirty days written notice of the proposed removal, the person providing the notice may commence a suit in a state court of competent jurisdiction preventing the clerk of court or the register of deeds from removing the document.
(3) If a clerk of court or a register of deeds improperly refuses to accept for filing or recording or improperly removes from the public records a conveyance, mortgage, judgment, lien, contract, or other document pursuant to this section, the clerk of court or register of deeds is not liable for damages, personally or in his official capacity, for the improper refusal or removal.
(a) "Sham legal process" means a document that is not issued lawfully and that purports to be a judgment, lien, or order of a court or appropriate government entity, or otherwise purports to assert jurisdiction over or determine the legal or equitable status, rights, duties, powers, or privileges of a person or property.
(b) "Lawfully issued" means adopted, issued, or rendered in accordance with applicable statutes, rules, regulations, and ordinances of the United States, a state, or an agency or a political subdivision of a state.

References: § 8
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