The Register of Deeds Office keeps and maintains land records, deed and legal description
of property that date from the present back to the 1700's.
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Functions
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- Document Archival
- Plat Maintenance
- Public Records Maintenance
- Real Property Transaction Recording
- Keeps and maintains records of The Articles Of Association and Limited Partnership.
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The Register of Deeds Office records land titles, leins and other documents related
to property transaction in Lancaster County. The Register of Deeds Office must assure
that all recorded documents comply with the requirements of federal and state recording
statutes and are available for public review.
This Office Does:
- File, index and record deeds, mortgages and miscellaneous property- related records
and plats in a variety of formats (including microfilm, digital imaging, hard copy
and computer data storage)
- Record and index financing statements, state and federal tax liens
- Provide copies of deeds and plats for a fee
- Collect a recording fee based on all documents recorded
- Offer on-site information and instructions on how to use record books and microfilm
- Provide certified true copies of any documents on record in the Register of Deeds
Office (such as mortgages, powers of attorney or plats)
This Office Does Not:
- Perform title searches or searches for other information
- Advise, refer or make legal recommendations
- Report information to credit bureaus or other agencies
- Verify ownership of property
- Execute documents
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Q: What type of information should I bring to the ROD Office to find a
particular deed?
A: You need to know the approximate date of sale or conveyance and the name
of the seller (grantor) or the buyer (grantee). If the owner's name unknown, go
to the County Assessor's Office where the assessment is listed both alphabetically
by owner and by tax map sequence number. Map books in the Assessor's Office guide
users to the appropriate number, which is then cross-referenced with the alphabetic
roll to find the owner's name.
Q: Why must I have property information changes recorded with the ROD Office?
A: This office maintains the "public record" or the "official"
property record. Title companies will not insure loans on real property unless a
title search has been completed by an attorney or that attorney's representative.
As the official record, this information is also used in developing the tax rolls.
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Recording Requirements
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- Documents must have original signatures.
- Two witnesses required to signature of persons executing document.
- SC probate or uniform acknowledgement required.
- Warranty deeds and mortgages must have a derivation clause (previous owner and recording
date_.
- Deeds and mortgages must have address of grantee and mortgagee.
- Deeds must have a sufficient legal description. Satisfaction of mortgage on original
mortgage must be signed, officers title, dated and witnessed.
- Satisfaction of mortgage NOT on original recorded mortgage or an acknowledgement,
and in addition a separate signed owners lost affidavit.
- Plats must have embossed seal and signature of registered land surveyor.
- All plats must be approved by planning commission, unless no new lots added.
- All of the above requirements are by State Statutes or County Ordinanace
Please contact the Register of Deeds Office for any questions, comments or suggestions.
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Common Terms
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- Conveyance -- The transfer of title to real property
from one person to another.
- Deed -- A legal instrument or document used to transfer
property to a new owner. A deed names ownership and details a description of the
property, previous owners and type of deed, whether it is a tax deed, quitclaim,
warrantee deed or other.
- Mechanic's Lien -- The record of a contractor's claim
against property to secure payment of debt for materials or labor.
- Mesne -- Middle or intervening.
- Plat -- A scale-sized drawing of parcels or lots of land.
Created by a survey a plat defines a property's size and boundaries.
- Restrictive Covenants -- Specific rules that pertain
to a particular property
- Title Search -- Also known as an abstract, it is a comprehensive
research process which analyzes property status information, including ownership,
liens, deeds, mortgages and history.
- TMS Number (Tax Map Sequence Number) -- Also know as
a PID, it is a reference number containing information necessary to identify and
locate particular property parcel.
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History
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The Register Of Deeds Office has its origins in colonial South Carolina, under the
state's Office of the Secretary and Register of the Province. Some records of real
estate transactions date back to the 1670s. Continuous records begin in 1719. In
1731, a separate land registry began show all real property transactions for the
entire state. In 1839, the Clerk Circuit Court was declared as the ROD in each of
the state's districts except for Charleston and Georgetown. When South Carolina
ROD offices were abolished in 1896, only Charleston and Greenville retained their
offices.
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Contact Information
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Lancaster Register of Deeds
101 North Main Street
Lancaster, SC 29720
(803) 416-9440
John Lane, Register of Deeds
(803) 416-9397
Jennifer Joyner, Legal Clerk
(803) 416-9347
Candice Kirkley, Legal Clerk
Operations Manager
(803) 416-9348
Shana Higgins
Legal Clerk
(803) 416-9344
Mailing Address:
Lancaster Register of Deeds Office
PO Box 1809
Lancaster, SC 29721
Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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