The Mortgage Department is organized into workgroups or sections which specialize in the processing of documents and activities peculiar to each of the following areas:

Recording Desk
The Recording Desk is where conveyances, mortgages and other documents actually become part of the public records of Livingston Parish. When a document is received at the recording desk, the deputy clerk stamps it with a unique instrument number and an Index Book and Page number. The stamp also records the date, hour, and minute of filing.

The Louisiana Revised Statutes establish acceptable document formats and prescribe an additional ten-dollar noncompliance fee per document for any document that fails to comply.

LRS §13:844D(1) states that "... every document filed for recordation shall be captioned as to type of act on the first page, and shall have on the first page a margin of two inches at the top, and one inch at the bottom and sides. The type size shall not be less than eight point." LRS §9:5217B specifically imposes the same requirements for multiple indebtedness mortgages.

Unlike most other states, original documents sent to the Clerk of the District Court and Ex-Officio Recorder are not returned to the sender. The Louisiana Civil Code provided that documents deposited with the recorder become part of the parish archives. The filing party may obtain certified copies of the original documents with the Clerk's endorsement at the time of filing from the Recording Desk. After filing, copies may be obtained from the Mortgage or Conveyance sections.

The Recording Desk accepts and files, free of charge, Oaths of Office of notaries, sheriff's deputies, deputy clerks of court, and other parish officials as well as military discharge forms, medical certificates, and ordination papers.

The recording clerks also maintain a daily synopsis of recorded documents called the "daybook;" and they separate the day's recorded documents into Mortgage, Conveyance, Charters, Maps and Miscellaneous categories. At the end of each day the documents are distributed to the appropriate personnel for error checking and indexing the next business day.

A Recording Fee schedule has been posted, see Recording Fees. 

For further information about Recording, please call 225.686.2216.

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Mortgage Section
The Mortgage Section issues Mortgage Certificates and Non-lien Certificates. Louisiana law requires that all requests for certificates be in writing.  Written requests for certificates, in the appropriate form, may also be faxed to the department at 225.686.1867.  For information on UCC Search Certificates, see the Conveyance Section. 

Mortgage Certificates
Mortgage Certificates are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. You must provide the exact name(s) you want us to check and the legal property description. If a legal property description in not available, please contact 225.686.2216 and ask for the Mortgage Department.

A Mortgage Certificate, more correctly called a "Certificate of Non-Mortgage" is not a title opinion and makes no representation as to who might actually own the property described on the certificate.

When requesting a Mortgage Certificate in support of a Property Bond, you must provide the assessment sheet, which may only be obtained from the Parish Assessor's office.

Non-Lien (Clear Lien) Certificates
Non-Lien Certificates (also called Clear Lien Certificates) are also issued by the Mortgage Section. The request must be made in writing and it must include the name(s) you want us to check, the date the contract was signed, a brief description of the work, and the project number or name. Unless otherwise specified, the Non-Lien Certificate will be issued as of the date requested.

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For additional information about the Mortgage Department call 225.686.2216 or fax a written question addressed to the "LPCC Mortgage Department" at 225.686.1867.

Conveyance Section
The deputy clerks of the Conveyance Section assist the general public in researching the property records kept on file in the Clerk's Office. All property transactions, mineral leases, restrictions, subdivision maps, and other recordings are accessible through either a written or computerized index. As of the Fall of 2002, both the written and computerized index systems date back to 1875.

The Conveyance Section also provides large-screen computer viewing stations for public use. Real estate agents, surveyors, appraisers, abstractors, and attorneys are encouraged to come in and use these facilities. Our staff provides assistance free of charge.

UCC Search Certificates
UCC searches are performed and Certificates are issued by the Conveyance Section. Requests must be in writing; either on a Louisiana approved Form UCC11 or by letter. If by letter, you must indicate at least the debtor's exact full legal name.

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For additional information about the Mortgage Department call 225.686.2216 or fax a written question addressed to the "LPCC Mortgage Department" at 225.686.1867.

Indexing Section
The Indexing Section is responsible for inputting the details of mortgage, conveyance, and charter documents into the Clerk's computer system. This process is known as "indexing." Certain miscellaneous documents are maintained in manual index books. The Indexing Section handles them as well.

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For additional information about the Mortgage Department call 225.686.2216 or fax a written question addressed to the "LPCC Mortgage Department" at 225.686.1867.

Mortgage Cancellation Section
The Mortgage Cancellation Section performs all "cancellations" of mortgage notes and issues certificates to that effect.  A $10.00 fee is charged for each encumbrance canceled by the Clerk.  The $10.00 cancellation fee is in addition to any recording fees or copy fees incidental to the cancellation.  

For example, the total cost of recording a one-page Request for Cancellation by Licensed Financial Institution and canceling the related mortgage would be $45.50 ($35.50 recording fee plus $10.00 cancellation fee). 

Cancellations - Effective July 1, 2006 the rules have changed.  Click here to read an important message.
When you pay off a mortgage on real estate located in Livingston Parish, you need to make sure your mortgage gets cancelled. It's the borrower, not the lender, that may be adversely affected if the mortgage is not cancelled.  Sometimes the lending institution will handle the cancellation for you; but, regardless of who wishes to cancel a mortgage, we require the original note marked "paid" on its face .

If the original note has been lost, contact your mortgage company or other lender and ask them to prepare a lost note affidavit. We will only accept the original affidavit --- no faxes and no copies.

For  more information on the documentation required to cancel a mortgage or other encumbrance, click here.

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For additional information about the Mortgage Department call 225.686.2216 or fax a written question addressed to the "LPCC Mortgage Department" at 225.686.1867.

Mapping Section
The mapping section is responsible for the filing of all survey maps in the computerized mapping index. All recorded maps are transferred to a separate map index that contains pertinent search information including for whom the map was prepared, the property's size, its location and the name of the surveyor.

Finding and making copies of surveys or plats is one of our office's most requested services. Louisiana law does not require that a survey of conveyed property be recorded and/or separately indexed. So, in many instances, surveys have not been recorded; or, even if recorded, they may not be retrievable.

The staff of the mapping section is currently reviewing old real estate sales documents in search of maps that may have been recorded as part of a conveyance but are not currently in the mapping index. As they are discovered, the staff is digitizing and indexing them into the system.

For maps that are in our inventory, mapping section staff have the capability to reproduce even large subdivision types. If you need or want a map that is not currently retrievable in our system, you may be able to obtain a copy from the surveyor who prepared the original work.

Clerk of Court Tom Sullivan, in a joint effort with Assessor Jeff Taylor, has contracted for a new up-to-date parish ownership map. As of July, 2002, this project is approximately 1/3 complete. When it is finished, it will provide a valuable service to those attempting to locate owners of Livingston Parish real property.

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For additional information about the Mortgage Department call 225.686.2216 or fax a written question addressed to the "LPCC Mortgage Department" at 225.686.1867.