All registers of deeds and all clerks of court in counties in which the clerks are required to perform the duties of registers of deeds shall enter the word "canceled", together with the signature of the officer, upon the margin or across the indexes of real estate mortgages and chattel mortgages, respectively, when the real estate mortgage or chattel mortgage is duly canceled of record by the mortgagee or his assignee. The cancelation and signature must be entered in the margin opposite the names of the mortgagor and mortgagee, respectively, or across these names. A like cancelation, on the demand of the mortgagor or legal representative, must be made on mortgages heretofore canceled of record. In lieu of the above requirements, the register of deeds or clerk of court may insert an appropriate column on the same page in these indexes showing the book and page number, if any, of the satisfaction or cancelation. Upon failure of the register of deeds or clerk of court to comply with this section, in each instance he shall forfeit and pay to the mortgagor the sum of ten dollars to be recovered in any court of competent jurisdiction.

Any clerk or other officer wilfully violating this section, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days, in the discretion of the court, and the solicitor of each circuit shall see that the law is complied with or shall prosecute violators.

Terms Used In South Carolina Code 29-3-350

  • Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
  • Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
  • Mortgagor: The person who pledges property to a creditor as collateral for a loan and who receives the money.
  • Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.