Scott County Chancery Clerk Records

About the Scott County Chancery Clerk

Scott County runs a split clerk system. Two elected clerks divide the work, and each one holds a different set of records. The Scott County Circuit Clerk handles Circuit Court and County Court matters, marriage licenses, juries, and criminal and civil litigation files. The Chancery Clerk covers the equity side. That means land records, Board of Supervisors minutes, the county treasury, and the files of the Chancery Court. Sending a request to the right clerk saves time, so it helps to know the line that splits the two offices.

The Chancery Clerk wears several hats at once. The office serves as the public recorder for the county, as county treasurer, and as the clerk of the Chancery Court. It also acts as the public-records officer for the Board of Supervisors. The official county page does not publish the clerk's personal name, but it lists the duties in plain detail. The office even offers a passport photo service for residents who need one.

What the Scott County Chancery Clerk Records

The Chancery Clerk is the public recorder for Scott County. When a property changes hands or a debt attaches to land, the paper that proves it gets filed here. The office records the document, stamps it with a book and page, and stores it for the long term. That recorded copy is what title searchers, lenders, and lawyers rely on. Many records run back many years, so the office also stores older land rolls, tax receipts, and county files, and it can authorize disposal of those once their active life ends.

The office records and stores a set range of land and legal instruments. The most common types filed with the Scott County Chancery Clerk are:

• Deeds that transfer title to real property
• Mortgages and deeds of trust that secure a loan
• Construction liens and condominium liens
• Federal tax liens against a person or property
• Lis Pendens, a notice that a lawsuit affects a parcel of land
• Military discharge papers filed for safekeeping

A few of these terms trip people up. A Lis Pendens is just a public flag that says a court case may change who owns or controls a piece of land. A construction lien is a claim filed by a builder or supplier who has not been paid. Veterans often record a discharge so a certified copy stays on file in case the original is lost. The office can pull each of these by name, book, and page.

Board Minutes and Treasurer Duties in Scott County

The Chancery Clerk is also the clerk of the Scott County Board of Supervisors. The office records the minutes of every board meeting. Those minutes are the legal record of what the county did, what it voted on, and what it spent. If you want to read how the board acted on a road, a contract, or a budget item, the minute books in the Chancery Clerk's office are the source.

The same office serves as the county treasurer. In that role the Chancery Clerk prepares the claims dockets and the payrolls, then writes and signs county checks after the board approves them. This ties the records side to the money side. The board votes, the minutes capture the vote, and the treasurer function pays the bills that follow.

Note: Board of Supervisors minutes are public records, and the Chancery Clerk is the office that keeps and produces them in Scott County.

Scott County Chancery Court Clerk Duties

Mississippi splits its trial courts into law and equity. Circuit Court handles juries, felonies, and general civil suits. Chancery Court handles the equity and family side, and the Chancery Clerk is the clerk for that court. Scott County sits in the Second Chancery Court District. The clerk files the petitions, keeps the case files, and holds the orders the chancellor signs.

The range of Chancery Court matters is wide. As clerk of that court, the office handles files for estates, guardianships, conservatorships, divorces, child custody, adoption, property disputes, and other equity questions. A divorce decree, for example, is recorded here, and a certified copy of that decree comes from the Chancery Clerk rather than the state health department. Estate files, from the petition to open through the final accounting, also live with this office.

For a closer look at how estates, wills, guardianships, and conservatorships move through the court, see the Scott County Chancery Court probate records page. The Chancery Clerk is the records counter for those files, while the chancellor decides the cases.

E-Recording Scott County Land Records

Land documents do not always have to arrive on paper. Scott County accepts electronic recording for land records through two approved services. Title companies, banks, and law offices can submit deeds, mortgages, and liens online and get them recorded without a trip to Forest. E-recording cuts the mail time and returns a stamped copy faster than a mailed filing.

The two e-recording channels for Scott County land records are Simplifile and CSC eRecording. Both are submission networks that connect a filer's office to the Chancery Clerk. The county lists them on its official Chancery Clerk page, and either one routes the document to the same recorder. Walk-in and mail recording stay available for anyone who does not use an e-recording account.

Public Records Requests to the Scott County Chancery Clerk

The Chancery Clerk is the public-records officer for the Scott County Board of Supervisors. When a county record is not available over a counter or an online portal, the formal path is a public-records request to this office. Mississippi's open-records law, the Public Records Act at sections 25-61-1, 25-61-5, 25-61-7, and 25-61-9, sets the right of access and the rules for fees and timing. The county FAQ routes divorce, estate, land, delinquent-tax, and board-minute records to the Chancery Clerk.

Each request should be in writing, signed, and marked clearly as a "Public Records Request." Mail it to Scott County, Attention: Chancery Clerk, PO Box 630, Forest, MS 39074. The county's form asks for a short list of fields so the office can find the record and reach you. The form-field inventory below comes from the official request form.

Scott County Chancery Clerk Fees

Public-records work carries a set fee schedule. The county may charge for the staff time it takes to find and prepare a record, for the copies it makes, and for any extra cost of delivery or legal review. Plain copies are charged by the page. Labor is charged by the hour. Special materials and delivery are billed at actual cost.

One point catches some requesters off guard. The county may charge for search time even when no record turns up, and even when the record it finds is later ruled exempt. Ask for an estimate first if cost is a concern. The office gives a cost figure before it starts the work, so there are no surprises at pickup.

How to Submit a Public Records Request

The process follows a clear set of steps. The county lays them out on its request form, and the timeline is written into the policy. Here is how a Scott County public-records request moves from start to finish.

1. Fill out and sign the request form. Write a clear, concise description of the records you want.
2. Mark the request as a "Public Records Request" and send it to Scott County, Attention: Chancery Clerk, PO Box 630, Forest, MS 39074.
3. The county gives you an estimate of how long the work will take and what it will cost.
4. Staff locate and assemble the records, then remove any exempt material from the file.
5. The office calculates the search and copy costs and asks for payment.
6. Once paid, the county sends the records or makes them ready for you to inspect.

Timing is set by policy. The county says it will produce records within 7 business days of the request. If that is not possible, it sends a written explanation. In any case, records come within 14 business days unless both sides agree otherwise, and subject to the law's exemptions.

Scott County Chancery Court E-Filing History

Electronic filing reached the Scott County Chancery Court early. The Mississippi Judiciary reported that the court began voluntary electronic filing on February 15, 2010, and made it mandatory on April 1, 2010. That move put Chancery Court filings into the statewide Mississippi Electronic Courts system, a milestone for how local equity cases get filed and stored.

The shift matters for record seekers today. Many newer Chancery Court filings exist in electronic form, which can speed up how a clerk locates and copies a file. Older records still live in paper books in the office. For divorce, estate, land, or board records, a direct request to the Chancery Clerk remains the surest route, and the county FAQ at scottcountyms.gov/how-do-i points each record type to the right office.