The Document Checklist, printed on the PDF as Document Recording Checklist, is the Anderson County Register of Deeds list of requirements a deed, mortgage, lien or other document must meet before the office will record it. Anyone preparing a document for recording in Anderson County, South Carolina, can use it to check signatures, witnesses, notary details, affidavits and fees in advance. On FillingPDF you can fill out the checklist online and download or print the completed PDF; the county publishes the original PDF, and the documents themselves are recorded only through the Register of Deeds office.
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What is Document Checklist – Anderson County, SC?
The Document Checklist, titled DOCUMENT RECORDING CHECKLIST on the PDF, is the Anderson County Register of Deeds list of the elements a document must have to be accepted for recording, from legible originals and notarization to affidavits, fees and rules for specific document types.
The Register of Deeds is responsible for recording, indexing and maintaining legal documents that establish ownership of real and personal property in Anderson County, South Carolina. The checklist is a guide to those requirements. It is not a form that is filed and it does not itself record anything.
The checklist covers these points:
- legibility, original signatures and the date of execution;
- subscribing witnesses, the Affidavit of Probate or an Acknowledgement, and the Notary Public statement, signature, expiration date and seal;
- the legal description and the derivation clause on deeds;
- the grantee's or mortgagee's address and tax map reference numbers;
- the Affidavit of True Consideration;
- payment of fees;
- mortgage satisfactions, lost-mortgage and attorney affidavits, assignments, transfers, partial releases and subordinations;
- tax liens, mechanics liens and Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) financing statements.
It is also not a property tax document. The county's Anderson County Public Access System and Services (ACPASS) is where tax records and property taxes are found.
Who needs to file Document Checklist – Anderson County, SC?
Anyone who prepares or presents a document for recording at the Anderson County Register of Deeds can use this checklist: buyers and sellers with deeds, lenders and borrowers with mortgages, attorneys and filers handling satisfactions, assignments or liens.
Groups the checklist addresses, with their conditions:
- Deed filers: deeds, except Quit Claim Deeds, need a derivation clause, and every deed recorded in the office must come with an Affidavit of True Consideration.
- Mortgage filers and secured parties: the checklist explains satisfaction by statement on the original, by Lost Form Affidavit when the original mortgage cannot be obtained, and by an Attorney Affidavit of Satisfaction from an attorney licensed in South Carolina who can prove payment.
- Lien filers: mechanics liens must meet S.C. Code of Laws, Title 29, and the checklist lists minimum content.
- UCC filers: only UCCs secured by real estate may be filed with the county Register of Deeds.
Exclusions: UCCs secured by personal property go to the Secretary of State's Office, ATTN: UCCs, 1205 Pendleton Street, Columbia, S.C., 29211, (803) 734-2175. Tax liens can be withdrawn, expunged, partially released or fully satisfied only by the filing agency, so questions about them go to that agency. An affidavit is not required for a deed of distribution under §62-3-907.
When to file Document Checklist – Anderson County, SC
Use the checklist before you present a document for recording, because the office will not accept or "clock in" a document over the counter unless all fees are fully paid and the requirements are met. The checklist itself has no due date and is not filed.
The Register of Deeds page asks that all documents be in for recording no later than 4:30pm. The office's hours of service are Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. The page also says a new fee list applies to documents received on and after August 1st, so check the fee list under document recording on the Register of Deeds page before you come in.
Check timing for UCC filings as well: the checklist notes that the UCC rules changed effective 7/1/2001 and urges filers to review the changes carefully to avoid rejections.
Documents you need
- Affidavit of True Consideration for every deed recorded in the office, complying with §12-24-70, Code of Laws of South Carolina; it shows the value of the realty unless the deed is exempt from the deed recording fee under Title 12, Chapter 24.
- If the deed is exempt from the deed recording fee, the affidavit need not state the value but must state the reason for the exemption.
- Affidavit of Probate or an Acknowledgement following the execution and witness signatures; every document needs one or the other.
- Notary Public statement, signature, expiration date and seal, on documents that must be notarized (except as otherwise provided by law).
- Derivation clause on deeds other than Quit Claim Deeds, naming the original Grantor and the Recording Date, Book and Page number of the deed that conveyed the property to the Grantor.
- Mortgage satisfaction: a signed "paid in full" statement on or attached to the original mortgage, with witness signature(s) and date, plus the original filing page showing date, book and page.
- Affidavit of Lost Mortgage and Lost Mortgage Satisfaction, when the secured party cannot obtain the original mortgage.
- Attorney Affidavit of Satisfaction from a South Carolina-licensed attorney who can provide proof of payment, signed before two witnesses and probated or acknowledged.
- Payment of all required fees in full, by check or cash.
How to fill out Document Checklist – Anderson County, SC
Check legibility and signatures
Confirm the document is clear enough to be read after being filmed and that every required signature is an original with the date of execution. The checklist encourages blue ink.
Confirm witnesses
Most documents need 2 witnesses' original signatures; one may sign the Affidavit of Probate and the other may be the Notary Public. The executing parties cannot be witnesses.
Verify probate or acknowledgement and notary
Make sure an Affidavit of Probate or an Acknowledgement follows the signatures, and that the Notary Public's statement, signature, expiration date and seal are present.
Check the description and derivation clause
Confirm the document has a legal description or a reference to an attached Plat. For deeds other than Quit Claim Deeds, add the derivation clause with the original Grantor and the Recording Date, Book and Page.
Note addresses and tax map numbers
Write the buyer's (Grantee's) or Secured Party's (Mortgagee's) address on the face of the deed or mortgage. Show the tax map reference numbers on all deeds, preferably on the first page.
Prepare the Affidavit of True Consideration
Attach it to every deed, stating the value of the realty, or the reason for the exemption if the deed is exempt from the deed recording fee.
Prepare mortgage satisfaction items
For satisfactions, assignments, transfers, partial releases or subordinations, assemble the signed statement or affidavit and the original filing page with date, book and page of the affected mortgage.
Check liens and UCC filings
Make sure mechanics liens meet the minimum content listed under S.C. Code Title 29. Confirm any UCC is secured by real estate, since personal-property UCCs go to the Secretary of State.
Confirm fees and payment
Prepare full payment by check or cash, with checks properly filled out and executed, before presenting the document.
Review and download the PDF
Check every item against your document, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and bring it with the document to the Register of Deeds.
How to submit Document Checklist – Anderson County, SC
The checklist is not submitted. You use it to prepare the document, then present the document to the Anderson County Register of Deeds.
- In person: Register of Deeds, 401 East River Street, Anderson, SC 29624. Hours of service are Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., and documents must be in for recording no later than 4:30pm. The checklist says the office will not accept a document over the counter unless all required fees are paid in full.
- Postal address: the office lists PO Box 8002, Anderson, SC 29622. The checklist does not describe recording by mail.
- Payment: the office accepts checks and/or cash. Checks must be properly filled out and executed. The office may accept over-payments as a courtesy. The current fee list is on the Register of Deeds page under document recording.
Do not bring UCCs secured by personal property to this office; they go to the Secretary of State's Office, 1205 Pendleton Street, Columbia, S.C., 29211.
FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the checklist PDF; submission follows the Register of Deeds channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Submitting a document whose signature and typed name are totally different; the checklist says indexing follows the signature and such a document is returned unrecorded.
- Using a party to the document as a witness; the individuals who execute the document may not be the witnesses or the notary.
- Omitting both the Affidavit of Probate and an Acknowledgement after the execution and witness signatures.
- Leaving the Notary Public's statement, signature, expiration date or seal incomplete.
- Recording a deed, other than a Quit Claim Deed, without a derivation clause giving the Grantor's source deed (original Grantor, recording date, book and page).
- Leaving off the grantee's or mortgagee's address, or the tax map reference numbers, on the face of a deed.
- Filing a deed without an Affidavit of True Consideration, or an exempt deed whose affidavit does not state the reason for the exemption.
- Presenting a document without paying all fees in full; the office will not clock in such a document over the counter.
- Bringing a UCC secured by personal property to the county; it must be filed with the Secretary of State's Office.
- Including a Social Security, driver's license, bank account or card number or PIN in a document when the law does not expressly require it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Anderson County Document Recording Checklist?
It is the Anderson County Register of Deeds list of requirements a document must meet to be recorded, covering signatures, witnesses, notarization, affidavits, fees and rules for mortgages, liens and UCCs. It is a guide, not a form that you file.
Is this the form for Anderson County property tax?
No. This checklist is for recording documents with the Register of Deeds. For Anderson County property tax information, the county says its Public Access System and Services (ACPASS) holds tax records, real estate information and property taxes.
Does my document have to be notarized?
Generally yes. The checklist says documents presented for filing, except as otherwise provided by law, must be notarized by a licensed Notary Public with the notary statement, signature, expiration date and seal. An Affidavit of Probate or an Acknowledgement must also follow the signatures.
How many witnesses do I need to record a document?
Most documents require 2 witnesses' original signatures. One may sign the Affidavit of Probate and the other may be the Notary Public. The people who execute the document cannot act as witnesses or notary.
Do I need an Affidavit of True Consideration for a deed?
Yes, every deed recorded in the Anderson County office must come with one under §12-24-70 of the S.C. Code. An exempt deed's affidavit states the reason for the exemption instead of the value. A deed of distribution under §62-3-907 does not need one.
Can I pay recording fees by credit card?
The checklist says the office accepts checks and/or cash and will not accept a document over the counter until all required fees are paid in full. It does not list other payment methods; the current fee list is on the Register of Deeds page.
Where do I file a UCC financing statement?
Only UCCs secured by real estate are filed with the county Register of Deeds. UCCs secured by personal property go to the Secretary of State's Office, ATTN: UCCs, 1205 Pendleton Street, Columbia, S.C., 29211, (803) 734-2175.
Can I fill out the Document Recording Checklist online?
You can fill out the checklist PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service: it does not record or file documents, and recording happens only through the Anderson County Register of Deeds.
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