Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Office

About the Prentiss County Chancery Clerk

David "Bubba" Pounds serves as the Prentiss County Chancery Clerk. The post is an elected county office. Mississippi gives the chancery clerk one of the widest job descriptions in county government. State statutes, court rules, the State Department of Audit, and the Department of Finance and Administration all shape the work. The clerk is the public recorder, the clerk of the Chancery Court, and the clerk of the county Youth Court. He also acts as clerk of the Board of Supervisors and as county treasurer, auditor, and purchase clerk. Few county offices touch this many functions at once.

Several deputy clerks staff the counter and process daily filings. The current deputy chancery clerks are Lori Rogers, Suzanne Kagel, Shelba Walker, Jennifer Wroten, Kinsey Lambert, and Holly Lindsey. Recording, indexing, copying, and front-desk help all run through this team. Older land rolls, tax receipts, and similar aged county records are stored and managed here, and any disposal of those records follows state procedure. The main office sits in downtown Booneville, while related Chancery Court business is handled at the county Government Annex on Bridge Street.

What the Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Handles

The chancery clerk wears many hats in a single day. One trip to the counter can cover a real-estate deed, a probate file, and a passport application. The duties below show why this office is a first stop for so many county records. Each role carries its own filings, indexes, and fee rules.

• Public recorder for deeds, mortgages, and land documents, with indexes used to research title.
• Recorder of construction liens, condominium liens, federal tax liens, powers of attorney, lis pendens, and military discharges.
• Clerk of the Chancery Court for estates, guardianships, conservatorships, divorce, custody, adoption, and equity matters.
• Clerk of the Prentiss County Youth Court, whose files are confidential.
• Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, recording the official county minutes.
• County treasurer, auditor, and purchase clerk for county finance.
• Passport acceptance agent, linked to the federal travel.state.gov process.

Marriage licenses and Circuit Court case files do not run through this office. Those belong to the Prentiss County Circuit Clerk instead. For estate and guardianship matters, the related case work is described on the county Chancery Court records page.

Note: the chancery clerk keeps a deep archive, so older Prentiss County land rolls and tax records can usually be located here even when they are not online.

Recorded Documents in Prentiss County

As public recorder, the chancery clerk stamps, indexes, and stores documents that affect property and people. A recorded instrument becomes part of the permanent county record and shows up in the land index. Buyers, lenders, title examiners, and heirs rely on that index to trace ownership and debts. A few recording terms come up again and again at the counter.

Deed of Trust

The Mississippi security instrument that pledges real property to back a loan, recorded so the lender's interest is public.

Lis Pendens

A recorded notice that a lawsuit affecting a specific piece of property is pending, warning anyone who might buy or lend.

Construction Lien

A claim recorded by a contractor or supplier who was not paid for work or materials on a property.

Power of Attorney

A document naming someone to act for another person; recording it lets that agent sign property paperwork.

Oil, gas, mineral, and royalty instruments are recorded here as well, along with leases, plats, covenants, and UCC filings tied to land. The clerk also keeps military discharge records, which veterans often need certified for benefits. Each recorded item is added to the running index, so a clean chain of title can be traced back through prior owners and any debts that touched the parcel.

Prentiss County Land Record Fees

Recording and copy charges are set by statute and posted by the office. Archive fees add a small amount that funds long-term record preservation. The figures below cover the most common land-record requests. Call the clerk to confirm a total before mailing payment, since page counts and document types change the cost.

Note: assignments, releases, and similar marginal-notation filings carry their own higher rates, so ask the clerk for the exact charge before recording one.

How to Request a Recorded Document or Certified Copy

A certified copy carries the clerk's seal and proves the document matches the official record. Courts, lenders, and government agencies often demand a certified copy rather than a plain printout. The steps below move a request from start to finish, whether you come in person, mail it, or call ahead.

1. Identify the document and the people or property tied to it, such as grantor and grantee names, the recording date, or a book and page number from the land index.
2. Decide whether you need a plain copy or a certified copy, and how many copies you want.
3. Contact the office at 662-728-8151 to confirm the fee, accepted payment, and whether identification is required for the record.
4. Submit the request at the counter at 100 North Main Street, or mail it to PO Box 477, Booneville, MS 38829, with payment enclosed.
5. Pick up the copies at the counter, or include return details so the clerk can mail the certified document back to you.

Prentiss County Chancery Records Online

The office offers Internet access to the county land-record index through its Chancery Records Online portal. From there a visitor can open the land-record index, view Board of Supervisors minutes, and sign up for a property fraud alert that watches for new filings under a name. The portal is a strong starting point for title research from home.

One caution matters most. The online index is not the official record. Only the Land Records Index kept inside the Prentiss County Courthouse controls. Any copy purchased online by credit card is final, and the 3.5 percent service fee, with a two dollar minimum, is non-refundable. When a result must be relied on for a closing or a court filing, verify it against the courthouse index or order a certified copy from the clerk.

Ways to Reach the Prentiss County Chancery Clerk

Records held by this office can be requested through several channels. Land and deed research often works best online first, then in person for certified copies. Chancery and probate case files may be partly electronic, since the First Chancery District went live on the state Mississippi Electronic Courts system on July 25, 2022. Older files predate that date and live on paper at the courthouse.

When an online system does not show a record, the Mississippi Public Records Act, found at Miss. Code Ann. Section 25-61-1 and following, backs a written request to the office that holds the file. Public records open for inspection unless a statute exempts them, and the office may charge actual costs for searching and copying. Sealed, adoption, youth court, and guardianship material is restricted and may need a court order or party status.

Statewide electronic case access for the First Chancery District runs through Mississippi Electronic Courts. Public viewing is handled through PAMEC, the public-access branch of that statewide system, reachable by phone at 601-576-4650 or by email at helpdesk@mec.ms.gov.