LearnProjects & Programs > Lien & Plat Systems

Overview

The Clerks’ Authority and the Clerks of Superior Court in Georgia have created a one-of-a-kind system providing unprecedented lien information and access to property transaction information in Georgia.   The business community gained 24-hour, seven-day-a-week desktop access to the land records of each county through the Internet and at each of the 159 Clerks’ Offices in the State. 

Extensive efforts have been made by the Authority and Clerks so as to provide for uniformity in technical and practical practices relating to real estate documents in Georgia.  

The Lien and Plats Systems provide Internet access 24 hours a day to the following:

  • Lien Indexes - all counties in Georgia
  • Lien Images - all counties in Georgia
  • Plat Indexes - all counties in Georgia
  • Plat Images - all counties in Georgia
  • Direct and Reverse search features - Liens - all counties in Georgia
  • Plat Name search features - all counties in Georgia
  • Statewide, regional or individual county search features - Liens and Plats
  • Book and Page search features - Liens and Plats - all counties in Georgia
  • Instrument Type search features - Liens and Plats - all counties in Georgia

The System continues to evolve with regular additional capabilities being added so as to provide robust search capabilities, extensive lien information and features such e-filing capability and utilities.

Certified Vendors

In order to help assure quality, completeness, compatibility, and compliance with State laws, it is the Authority's intent to only receive Clerk of Superior Court data from the certified computing systems. Certification is based on meeting minimum requirements for particular program participation and not upon suitability for all needs of Clerks of Superior Court.

To view Lien and Plat systems that have been certified please visit the Certified Vendors page available here.

System Guidelines

Preparation and transmission of county deed, lien, plat index records and related images to the Central Collection System is critical for the proper functioning of the statewide system.   Local data capture, formatting and transmission is standardized and carefully controlled to ensure the functional integrity of the data in the system.

The guidelines present the local system requirements and data standards and the technical requirements local systems must adhere to be compatible with the Real Estate System.  All local systems must demonstrate and maintain compliance with these requirements.

You can retrieve the Local System Guidelines on our Deed, Lien & Plat Files page.

FAQ

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Lien and Plat FAQ

  1. Where will users go to search for lien and plat records?

    Users will access www.gsccca.org – the same site they use to search other GSCCCA applications – and then they will click Statewide Indexing Searching, then select Lien or Plat Index.

  2. My vendor is not listed as certified. Do I still transmit lien and plat data?

    No. Wait until your vendor is certified before transmitting data or images.

  3. My vendor is certified. What do I do to transmit?

    Plat and Lien transmits will work just like the deed transmits work, but make sure your vendor is certified before you start transmitting.

  4. How much does it cost to record a condo plat?

    The cost, $8.00, is no different than the cost to record any other plat from what we are told.

  5. Why are there three instrument types for plats: a) plats and maps, b) condominium plats, c) floor plans?

    Condo plats and floor plans have different legislative requirements for the way they are to be indexed and stored locally. Identifying them as different types allows users to search for them specifically, and to be aware of the different ways they may be handled or stored locally.

  6. Do I have to consolidate all my indexes into one book?

    No. It is recommended to have one book for plats and one for liens and one for deeds. The lien book needs to be consolidated to include all the different types of lien instruments in Section 5.4 of the Indexing Standards.

  7. Why is cross referencing in the index necessary?

    It was added at the request of the search community and the Real Property Section of the State Bar. It allows documents to be found that might have been mis-indexed, or mis-prepared by filers, and it helps users find related documents across indexes. For example, due to legislation, a Materialman’s lien cancellation may be filed in the Lien index after January 1, 2004, but the corresponding lien may be previously filed in the deed index. The automated cross-referencing feature alleviates this issue when cross-references are made in the index. Additionally, there are laws requiring cross-referencing for certain types of instruments.

  8. Is the GSCCCA going to adopt a standardized plat index?

    It has not been discussed by the board.

  9. Who can I call if I have questions about how to index a lien or plat?

    Call or email Phil Kobierowski. His phone number is 404-327-9208 or you can email him at phil.kobierowski@gsccca.org

  10. Do I transmit "Hospital Liens" to the GSCCCA?

    Hospital liens, as defined by O.C.G.A. 44-14-470 et seq, are now to be included in your lien transmits. See the Indexing Standards regarding how to index them properly.

  11. How should Modifications of Security Deeds be indexed?

    They are to be indexed as Security Deeds in the deed index. (See the Indexing Standards for further information.)

  12. How do I handle materialman’s liens?

    They are to be included in the lien index and included in Lien transmits to the GSCCCA.

  13. Do I also send plat and lien images as part of the project?

    Yes, the legislation requires images to be sent as a part of the project.

  14. I have received a 24" x 36" plat. How do I handle it as far as scanning it to the GSCCCA?

    Some vendors have systems that can handle plats that size. If your vendor can handle this size, then scan it to the GSCCCA. If not, the GSCCCA is working on alternatives and will hopefully have a solution in the near future.

  15. What does the law say regarding the maximum size of plats accepted for filing?

    See O.C.G.A. 15-6-67 which essentially states: If you microfilm plats, one copy 24" x 36" max and a second copy 17" x 22" max; otherwise, "no larger than can be recorded without folding."

  16. Will there be more training on the Plat and Lien Standards?

    Yes. The GSCCCA has various training and an online training course. Contact the GSCCCA Training Coordinator for more information.