To Citizens of Effingham:

It has been brought to the attention of all clerks’ of superior court in the state of Georgia that citizens may receive a solicitation from the National Deed Service, Inc. located in Northbrook, Ill. Their offer is to provide certified copies of the deed information on their homes for $69.50.

The National Deed Service purchases from public records copies of their customer’s deed and then resells it to him/her for a profit. While there is nothing illegal about offering this service I feel the need to notify citizens of Effingham County that they may obtain the same information from my office in the county courthouse at substantially less cost.

We welcome the citizens of Effingham County to come by the Clerk of Superior Court offices on the first floor of the Effingham Judicial Complex. We have public computer terminals available for your use and employees who are willing to show you how to maneuver around our user friendly software so you may look up your own records. If you choose to print your deed the cost is 25 cents per page, total cost in most instances is less than $5. If you desire to have certified copies then the cost would be $2.50 for the first page and $.50 for each page thereafter. These costs are set by the state legislature.

A second way to obtain this information is from the Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority. This is an authority established by the state of Georgia and is located in Metro Atlanta area. The Clerk of Superior Court in each county, in conformance to state law, transmits to the Authority scanned images of all real estate transactions that occur in the state.  Anyone throughout the world may view these records via the Internet. The clerks’ authority charges $9.95 per month to access the information in their data base and there are no long term contractual obligations.  

If a person then wishes to print an image (deed, map, plat, lien or UCC) the cost would be 25 cents per page and the document would be printed on your printer in your home or office. The 25 cents per page is returned to Effingham County on a monthly basis.  Copies printed from the Authority Webs ite are not certified copies. Only the clerk or a deputy clerk can certify the record of the court so please do not accept a certification from other sources.

It is important to understand that this office does not sell lists of any kind to private businesses. We do not sell criminal or civil case dispositions, liens, UCC filings, real estate transactions, trade names, notary commissions, or any other type of filings that are handled by my office.  

Again, I offer a standing invitation for every citizen of this county to come by our office and see the good work that is being performed. The Clerk of Superior Court records date back to 1787 and are here for your use. It is my honor and that of my staff to build upon and care for the history of Effingham County and the State of Georgia.

Elizabeth Z. Hursey, Clerk
Effingham Superior Court