Frequently Asked Questions

COBRA (short for Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986) is a federal law that allows for continuation of coverage under an employer's group health plan to covered persons (called "qualified beneficiaries") in the event of a qualifying event.

A qualified beneficiary is an individual who, on the day before the qualifying event, is covered under the Plan either as an employee, enrollee's dependent spouse, or enrollee's dependent child. A qualified beneficiary is also a child born to the employee, or who is placed for adoption with the employee during a period of COBRA continuation coverage.

A qualifying event is an occurrence which, but for the continuation coverage available under the Plan, would result in the loss of coverage for a qualified beneficiary. Under COBRA, qualifying events include the loss of coverage that otherwise would result due to:

• Termination of employment, for reasons other than gross misconduct
• Reduction in hours of employment
• Death of the enrollee
• Divorce or legal separation
• Entitlement to Medicare
• Loss of dependent eligibility

Land records refer to those record series that may involve real estate. These include documents traditionally recorded in Deed Books and Plat Cabinets, such as Deeds, Deed of Trust, Authorities to Cancel, Plats, and many other documents.

Yes, land records are available for public inspection from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday in Poplarville or Picayune using the public computer terminals. Physical records are housed at 100 South Main Street in the Chancery Clerk’s Records Room located in the new courthouse annex beside the historic courthouse. Land records are also accessible online on the records website.

Copies of land records can be easily accessed online using our subscription-based website. Fees for copies made by the public in the office are $.25 per page. Fees for copies made by our staff are 50 cents per page.

Copies of land records can be requested by phone or mail. Requested copies sent by mail must be accompanied by a check or money order covering the cost of the copies and a self-addressed stamped envelope to return those copies. The request should reasonably identify the document to be copied. Checks should be made payable to the Pearl River County Chancery Clerk. An additional dollar is applied for a certified copy of the document.

Documents can be recorded at both the Poplarville and Picayune offices or mailed to: 

P.O. Box 431
Attn: Chancery Clerk Recording Department
Poplarville, MS 39470

Be sure to include a self-addressed stamped envelope and the appropriate recording fees.

The person recording the document with the Clerk's Office is responsible for making sure the document:

• is original with a 3-inch blank margin at the top of the first page
• provides the grantor/grantee's name, address phone number and/or indexing instructions all on the front page
• gives name, address, and phone number of "preparer" and "return to"
• gives the legal description of the property
• is signed and notarized with the notary seal affixed
• is accompanied by the proper fees and a self-addressed stamped envelope so that it can be returned to the party offering it for recordation. If no self-addressed envelope is included, the document will be sent back to the address on the envelope in which the document was received

The Chancery Clerk's office is forbidden by law to give legal advice. Therefore, we always advise the citizen it is in his or her best interest to seek the advice of a legal professional for assistance.

Those fees are listed on our fees page.

The Clerk accepts credit/debit cards, cash, checks, and money orders made payable to Pearl River County Chancery Clerk.

We will attempt to contact the filer to rectify payment issues and hold the documents until proper payment is received. If, however, we are unsuccessful at reaching the appropriate filer, we will return the unfiled document to the filer.

Documents are recorded when we receive them in our office accompanied with the appropriate fees.

Yes. The clerk will immediately record your document and return the original once the transaction is completed.

If you submit your recording by mail, once the instrument is recorded on the computer and the sectional indexes, the document will be returned in the self-addressed envelope provided.

No. If you are unable to prepare your document according to state law, we urge you to seek professional legal assistance. The clerk’s office is forbidden by law to give legal advice.

Yes. E-Recording is available for Pearl River County Chancery Clerk's office land records. Submitters who wish to record deeds, deeds of trust and other documents which would be filed in land records, can contact Simplifile or CSC eRecording Solutions.

A release of lien, satisfaction, release, or cancellation should be filed in our land records referencing the original lien. The recorded document will be returned as instructed by the submitter.

If a lien has been satisfied, but a release is not recorded, please contact the lien holder.

Liens filed in the land records can be viewed in office or at the records website. The Chancery Clerk’s office is forbidden by law to search liens or give legal advice. Therefore, we always advise the citizen it is in his or her best interest to seek the advice of a legal professional for assistance.

A TODD is a legal document that transfers an individual’s interest in real property to one or more designated beneficiaries effective at the transferor’s death but does not change the ownership or right to the property until the death of the transferor.

Find more information.

If the decedent owned real property in Pearl River County, the survivor should file a death certificate with the Tax Collector/Assessor.

The Clerk's office is prohibited by law to conduct legal title searches, prepare deeds, or assist others in preparing deeds. Our office strongly recommends seeking out professional legal help to conduct a title search before purchasing real estate. A search of records in the Chancery Clerk's office will determine outstanding mortgages, taxes, or other liens and whether the seller has legal title to the property. Any attorney or title company can do a title search and prepare your deed.

If you purchase and occupy the property before January 1, you are eligible to apply for homestead exemption (PDF) in the Tax Assessor's office. The filing period is January 1 through April 1. Filing for homestead exemption may reduce your taxes substantially. If you are eligible, please be sure and take advantage of these savings. Please be reminded that if you have a change in marital status due to death or divorce, you must refile for homestead exemption. Please contact the Tax Assessor's office for more information.

Property taxes must be paid each year. You may begin paying taxes in November for the current tax year, and they must be paid by February 1 of the following year to prevent being assessed late penalties. The Tax Assessor/Collector mails courtesy notices in November for that year's taxes. Be sure your current mailing address is correct within that office. If you do not receive a tax statement due to being lost in the mail, you are still liable for paying those taxes without further notice. You must call or go by the Tax office to determine your tax liability to the county if you do not receive that card.

If your property taxes are unpaid by the Friday before the last Monday in August, then the unpaid taxes on real property are auctioned off to the highest bidder at the tax sale. If no bids are received, then the property is sent to the Mississippi Secretary of State for future sale. It then becomes the duty of the Chancery Clerk to collect all delinquent years' taxes before the current year's taxes can be paid in the Tax office. All delinquent taxes must be paid in full in the Chancery Clerk's office. We cannot accept installments. We accept cash, debit/credit card payments, money orders and certified bank checks payable to Pearl River County Chancery Clerk. No personal checks are accepted in the redemption of back taxes.

Individuals have two years from the date of the tax sale to redeem their property. If not redeemed before the two-year time period, the property matures to the individual who purchased it at the tax sale, or to the State of Mississippi if no one purchased the property at the tax sale.

If the taxes owed on a parcel of land are not purchased at the August tax sale, then that piece of property will become a part of the State of Mississippi tax-forfeited land inventory.

The tax sale for the previous year's delinquent taxes is conducted by the Tax Assessor/Collector's office on the last Monday of August.

Payment can be made at both the Poplarville and Picayune offices or mailed to: 

P.O. Box 431
Attn: Chancery Clerk Redemption Department
Poplarville, MS 39470

No personal checks are accepted. We accept cash, money orders, certified bank checks, or debit/credit cards. Be reminded of this important fact. Mississippi law requires a 1.5% interest penalty applied on the first day of each month during the delinquent period. At the time of redemption (or payment of your tax debt) that added interest payment, along with the original taxes owed, is given to the person or corporation who purchased your property at the August tax sale. The longer you wait to pay your tax liability, the greater your debt becomes. For that reason, we urge you to contact the Chancery Clerk's Office at 601-403-2316 or 601-749-7734 to obtain the accurate redemption payoff for the month you are intending to pay those taxes.

Foreclosure notices are posted at the historic courthouse's front entrance at 200 South Main Street in Poplarville.

Yes. Any deputy clerk in our office can notarize your signature without charge at both Chancery Clerk office locations. You must provide a government-issued valid identification and sign in the clerk's presence.

Court records are a series of case filings, subject but not limited, to divorce, child custody, child support, property divisions, adoptions, guardianships, conservatorships, estates, land issues, name changes, paternity matters, mental commitments, drug and alcohol commitments, and appeals.

In most instances, court records are available for public inspections from 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday in Poplarville or Picayune using public terminals. Physical records are housed at 100 South Main Street in the new courthouse annex beside the historic courthouse.

Adoptions and commitment filings, by law, are private. Therefore, they are sealed and not subject to public inspection. In certain instances, one of the four Chancellors in the 10th Judicial District may issue orders sealing entire cases or parts of case files for a variety of reasons.

Court documents or suits can be filed at both the Poplarville and Picayune offices or mailed to: Chancery Court, P.O. Box 431, Poplarville, MS 39470. Be sure to include the appropriate fees, if necessary.

In many instances, court filings can be done using the Mississippi Electronic Courts (MEC).

For more information, please visit the 10th District Chancery Court of Mississippi and the Supreme Court of Mississippi websites.

No. All persons needing legal assistance must consult an attorney or proceed as a Pro Se (self-represented) litigant. The four Chancellors (Judges) of the 10th Chancery Judicial District have created packets that may be purchased by Pro Se litigants to use as templates for filing in the following cases:

• No-Fault Divorce
• Name Change
• Simple Guardianship

Those fees are listed on our fees page.

The Clerk accepts credit/debit cards, cash, checks, and money orders made payable to Pearl River County Chancery Clerk.

No. You must seek your own legal counsel.

If you cannot get a copy from your attorney, you may request copies at either of our offices in Poplarville or Picayune from 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday. Fees for copies made by our staff are 50 cents per page and an additional $1 for a certified copy of the document.

Copies of court records can be requested by phone or mail. Requested copies sent by mail must be accompanied by a check or money order covering the cost of the copies and a self-addressed stamped envelope to return those copies. The request should reasonably identify the document to be copied. Checks should be made payable to the Pearl River County Chancery Clerk. An additional $1 is applied for a certified copy of the document.

No. Please contact the DHS Child Support Division for any questions or concerns regarding payments made to or received from DHS.

Due to the sensitive nature of civil commitments, we ask citizens to come to the Poplarville office to fill out the appropriate paperwork. Pine Belt Mental Health Resources performs pre-evaluation screenings for those in mental crisis to determine the need for in-patient or out-patient treatment. We ask you to provide the party's name, address, phone number, social security number, date of birth, medications the patient is currently taking, and medical history. The filing fee for both mental and substance abuse commitment is $148. Contact by emailing Allison McCormick, civil commitment deputy clerk, or call at 601-403-2348.

Please see the links below for additional information:

• Home - Mental Health Mississippi
• Uniform Civil Commitment Guide (PDF)
• A&D Commitment Guide (PDF)
• Find Services - Mental Health Mississippi (mentalhealthms.com)
• Mobile Crisis Response Teams - Mental Health Mississippi (mentalhealthms.com)
• Crisis Lifelines - Mental Health Mississippi (mentalhealthms.com)

The Lifeline provides 24/7, free, and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.

The 1-800-799-7233 National Domestic Violence Hotline provides 24/7 assistance to offer support and tools to free themselves or their family from abuse.

The Gulf Coast Center for Non-Violence in Gulfport was opened as a safe house in 1977 to offer help to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Since then, the Center has grown to be the largest, most comprehensive program in the State of Mississippi.  More than 20,500 women, children, and men have received services through shelter and non-residential programs since it opened. Approximately 12,000 children, adolescents, and adults attend violence prevention sessions annually. The 24-hour crisis line receives over 15,000 calls per year requesting assistance and information. The center serves the six southernmost counties of Mississippi: Pearl River, Stone, George, Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties. All services for victims are free of charge and completely confidential.

A petition for a DAPO should only be filed if you are being abused and your relationship with the abuser is one of the following:

• Spouse or former spouse
• Person currently living as a spouse or who formerly lived as a spouse
• Current or former dating partner
• Person related by blood or marriage and currently residing together or formerly residing together
• Person with whom you have a child(ren) in common

Justice, Municipal County, or Chancery Courts can issue a DAPO but if you are in immediate danger and seeking emergency relief, you must contact the Pearl River County Justice Court located at 153 Savannah-Millard Road, Suite A, Poplarville, MS 39470, 601-403-2572.

For more information on how to file a DAPO, please visit the Mississippi Attorney General's website.

The Chancery Clerk's Office is prohibited by state law from offering any type of legal advice or assistance in helping you prepare documents for filing in our court and land departments. We are not attorneys and can only assist you within the confines of our duties as keepers of the records. Our office, however, has compiled a list of resources available to those who meet income eligibility requirements for free legal assistance. We hope this will be of service to you.

• Mississippi Free Legal Answers

The state's first-ever, free online civil legal help website is designed to assist Mississippi's low-income citizens with their legal questions. The website is a cooperative effort of the Mississippi Access to Justice Commission and the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project. Question topics can include family law matters (such as divorce, custody, child support, visitation, guardianship, emancipation, and adoption), name change, birth certificate correction, domestic violence, bankruptcy, consumer, education, employment, housing, workers compensation, wills, and estate planning. The site will not deal with criminal law questions. Individuals who qualify for assistance will sign up for an account and then post a question privately to the website. Attorneys will respond to questions and users will be alerted to their responses by email.

• Mississippi Access to Justice Commission - 601-960-9581

A collaborative commission was created to make available more legal services access to Mississippi's low-income citizens. The website offers insight into valuable resources in Mississippi. The Commission is funded through the generous support of the Mississippi Supreme Court, The Mississippi Bar, and The Mississippi Bar Foundation.

• Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project - 601-960-9577

A non-profit legal organization dedicated to providing free legal services to low-income Mississippians with divorce, visitation, child support, guardianship, conservatorship, adoption, emancipation, birth certificate correction, name change, and estate planning matters.

• Mississippi Center for Legal Services Corporation - 800-498-1804

An organization serving eligible people with an annual household income at or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines and reside in one of 43 counties in the central and southern regions of Mississippi. Offering services in the following areas of law: family, consumer, education, employment, housing, income maintenance, health, individual, and juvenile rights.

• Mississippi College School of Law Clinical Programs - 601-925-7180

Mississippi College School of Law offers clinical opportunities for students to serve low-income and disadvantaged people with adoption, family, HIV-AIDS employment and housing discrimination and youth court matters.

• Northcutt Legal Clinic - 228-864-7144 in Gulfport; 601-705-0139 in Hattiesburg

The Northcutt Legal Clinic is a traditional law office that handles legal matters of a non-criminal nature for victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, and stalking. The clinic attorney has 30 years of experience and is assisted by a secretary/paralegal. The clinic is a subsidiary of the Gulf Coast Center for Nonviolence, Inc. It represents victims in their legal battles for protection, for divorce, and for child custody and support. The legal clinic usually takes information from a client over the phone and then arranges an interview to determine if they can assist the client.

• University of Mississippi School of Law Clinical Programs - 662-915-7429

The University of Mississippi School of Law offers clinical opportunities for students to serve low-income and disadvantaged people across Mississippi and affect systemic change through policy initiatives and law reform projects. The Law School has clinical programs in the following areas: child advocacy, criminal appeals, elder law, family, housing, and a low-income tax clinic.