About the Holmes County Chancery Clerk
Charlie Luckett serves as the Holmes County Chancery Clerk. The post is an elected county office based in Lexington. Mississippi counties run two separate clerks, and Holmes County is no exception. The Circuit Clerk keeps Circuit and County Court files and issues marriage licenses. The Chancery Clerk keeps a very different set of records. This office is the home of land records, Chancery Court files, and the books of the Board of Supervisors.
The clerk wears several hats at once. As recorder of deeds, the office files and indexes every deed, deed of trust, and lien against property in the county. As clerk of the Chancery Court, it keeps the court's dockets, minute books, and case files. As clerk of the Board of Supervisors, it records the board's actions. The office also acts as county treasurer and auditor, and it collects delinquent property taxes. Few county offices reach into so many corners of daily life.
Holmes County Chancery Clerk
Clerk: Charlie Luckett
2 Court Square
PO Box 1211
Lexington, MS 39095
662-834-2508
Fax: 662-834-1872
luckettcharlie@yahoo.com
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
What the Chancery Clerk Handles
Four broad roles define the office. Each one produces its own set of public records. Land records draw the most foot traffic, yet the court and board files matter just as much for legal research. A single visit can answer questions about a property, a lawsuit, and a tax sale.
- Recorder of land records: deeds, deeds of trust, powers of attorney, plats, homestead exemptions, and the grantor and grantee indexes.
- Clerk of the Chancery Court: dockets, minute books, and case files for divorce, guardianship, conservatorship, and estates.
- Commitment files: civil, mental health, drug, and alcohol commitments filed with the court.
- Clerk of the Board of Supervisors: board minutes, claims, and homestead assessment rolls.
- County treasurer and auditor: the claims docket, payrolls, and county checks issued after board approval.
- Delinquent tax collector: lands sold for taxes, redemptions, and tax deeds.
The clerk also sends divorce statistics to Mississippi Vital Records and passes case data to the state court system. When a divorce or estate case ends, the file stays with this office. The clerk processes appeals headed to the higher courts and assigns each new chancery case to one of the chancery judges.
Recording Land Records in Holmes County
Land records are the heart of the Chancery Clerk's day. They are open for public inspection from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The office records a document the day it arrives. That filing then becomes available for public viewing the next day. Anyone may walk in and read a deed, follow a chain of title, or check whether a lien sits on a parcel.
The clerk records documents but does not give legal advice. The office also does not hand out blank deed or trust forms. If a recording check falls short of the fee, the document goes back with a request for the correct amount. When a check runs over by a dollar to twenty-five dollars, the document is still recorded and the extra is refunded at month's end. The office takes cash, money orders, and checks payable to the Holmes County Chancery Clerk.
- Deed
- Transfers ownership of real property from one party to another.
- Deed of trust
- Secures a loan against real property, much like a mortgage.
- Lis pendens
- A public notice that a pending lawsuit may affect the title to a property.
- Plat
- A recorded map that divides land into lots, blocks, or sections.
- Homestead exemption
- A filing that lowers the property tax on an owner-occupied home.
- UCC land filing
- A lien recorded in the land records against fixtures tied to real estate.
Note: Land records are open to the public, but the clerk cannot tell you what a document means or whether your title is clear, so a title attorney handles that work.
Holmes County Chancery Clerk Fees
Recording and copy charges follow a published schedule. The amounts below come from the county Chancery Clerk fee schedule and cover the most common filings. Mineral stamps may add to oil, gas, and royalty instruments. Confirm the current total with the office before mailing payment, since pages beyond the first fifteen can raise the cost.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Deeds and leases (warranty, timber, quit claim, affidavit of heirship) | $12 first 15 pages |
| Deeds of trust | $17 first 15 pages |
| Assignment of rents and leases | $17 first 15 pages |
| Assignment, partial release, cancellation, subordination, modification, substitution of trustee | $13 plus $12 each added book and page |
| Lis pendens | $12 |
| Construction lien, easement, right-of-way | $12 |
| Covenants, certificate of trust, plats | $12 plus $1 per added lot or section |
| Federal tax lien or judgment | $12 |
| Power of attorney | $12 |
| Royalty deeds | $20 plus mineral stamps |
| Oil and gas leases | $20 plus mineral stamps |
| Self-made photocopies | $0.25 per page |
| Clerk-made photocopies | $0.50 per page |
| Certified copy of a filed document | $1 certification fee |
| Faxed documents | $1 first page, then $0.50 per page |
| Records search | $5 minimum and up |
| Posting documents | $6 |
| UCC search | $5 plus $2 each UCC found and copied |
| UCC-1, land only | $13 plus $4 each added debtor |
| UCC-3 continuation, release, or cancellation | $13 plus $4 each added debtor |
How to Request a Certified Copy in Holmes County
A certified copy carries the clerk's seal and a statement that the copy is true to the original. Courts, banks, and title companies accept it where a plain copy will not. A recorded deed or a chancery case file can be certified on request. The fee is small, but the document must be located first.
- Identify the document. Note the grantor and grantee, the book and page, or the case number and party names so the clerk can pull the right file.
- Decide how many copies you need and whether each one must be certified.
- Visit the office at 2 Court Square, or call 662-834-2508, to confirm the file is on hand and learn the total cost.
- Pay the copy charge plus the $1 certification fee for each certified document. Cash, check, and money order are accepted.
- Pick up the certified copy at the counter, or have it mailed when you send a written request with a return envelope.
Requesting Holmes County Records by Mail
Mail works well when a trip to Lexington is not practical. The office fills written copy requests once it can locate the file and confirm payment. A mailed request needs enough detail to find the right document, the correct payment, and a way to send the copy back. Address requests to the Holmes County Chancery Clerk, PO Box 1211, Lexington, MS 39095.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Document or Case Description | Yes | Identify the deed, instrument, or case file by book and page or case number. |
| Party Names | Yes | Grantor and grantee, or the parties to the court case. |
| Copy Type | Yes | State whether you need plain or certified copies. |
| Payment | Yes | Check or money order payable to the Holmes County Chancery Clerk. |
| Return Envelope | Yes | A stamped, self-addressed envelope so the office can mail the copies back. |
| Daytime Phone | No | Helps the clerk reach you if the file cannot be found. |
Note: A mailed request without payment or a return envelope will sit unfilled, so include both before you send it.
Holmes County Chancery Court Records
Beyond land, the Chancery Clerk keeps the files of the Chancery Court. This is the equity and family court for Holmes County. Divorce, child custody, alimony, and property division all run through it. So do wills, estate administration, guardianships, and conservatorships. The clerk keeps the docket and the minute books for each judge. Many chancery case files are also available online through Mississippi Electronic Courts for users who hold an account.
Estate and probate files live with this office, and the steps to open one appear on the Holmes County Chancery Court probate records page. Divorce decrees are also requested here at the counter. Certified divorce copies come from the clerk, not from a state website, so a mailed or in-person request is the route to a court-ready copy.
It helps to know which clerk holds which file. The Circuit Clerk handles Circuit and County Court criminal and civil cases and issues marriage licenses. Those records, and the contact details for that office, sit on the Holmes County Circuit Clerk page. The Chancery Clerk handles Chancery Court, land, probate, divorce, and Board of Supervisors records. Sending a request to the right clerk saves a wasted trip to the wrong counter.