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Contact Information,
Office Hours
Functions,
Office Responsibilities
FAQ's,
Common Terms,
History,
Interesting Facts
RMC Biographical Information
Forms,
RMC Records
Functions
Document
Archival
Plat Maintenance
Public Records Maintenance
Real Property Transaction Recording
TheRegister
Mesne Conveyance Office records land titles, liens
and other documents related to property transactions
in Charleston County. The RMC, an elected official,
must assure that all recorded documents comply with
the requirements of federal and state recording
statutes and are available for public review.
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This Office Does
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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) |
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Record and index financing statements, state
and federal tax liens |
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Provide copies of deeds and plats for a fee
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Collect a recording fee based on all
documents recorded |
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Offer on-site information and instructions
on how to use record books and microfilm
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Provide certified true copies of any
documents on record in the RMC Office (such
as mortgages, powers of attorney or plats)
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This Office Does Not
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Perform title searches or searches for other
information |
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Advise, refer or make legal recommendations
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Report information to credit bureaus or
other agencies |
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Common Terms
Abstract--
SeeTitle Searchbelow.
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.
PID Number
(Parcel Identification Number)-- Also known as a
TMS, it is a reference number containing information
necessary to identify and locate a particular
property parcel.
Plat-- A
scale-sized drawing of parcels or lots of land.
Created by a surveyor, 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 a particular
property parcel.
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History
The
Register Mesne Conveyance 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 to show all real
property transactions for the entire state. In 1839,
the Clerk of Circuit Court was declared as the RMC
in each of the state's districts except for
Charleston and Georgetown. When South Carolina RMC
offices were abolished in 1896, only Charleston and
Greenville retained their offices. Outside of these
two counties, the duties devolved upon the Clerks of
Court.
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Interesting
Facts
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In
Fiscal Year 1996, the RMC recorded over
81,000 documents. |
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The
RMC has record books dating back to 1719.
The original documents and microfilm copies
can be viewed in the RMC History Room, which
also contains the John McCrady Plat
Collection, 1680-1929, and the Auditor of
the City of Charleston's Ward Books,
1852-1964. The History Room is located on
the second floor of the County Office
Building. |
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Local attorneys use the RMC Office for
student instruction on conducting title
searches. |
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Contact
Information
O.T.
Wallace County Office Building
101 Meeting Street, Room 201
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 958-4800
(843) 958-4803 (Fax)
Mailing
address:
P.O. Box 726
Charleston, SC 29402
Office Hours
Monday-Friday
8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
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