Dorchester County Contract for Deed Form (South Carolina)

All Dorchester County specific forms and documents listed below are included in your immediate download package:

Contract for Deed Form

Dorchester County Contract for Deed Form

Fill in the blank Contract for Deed form formatted to comply with all South Carolina recording and content requirements.
Included Dorchester County compliant document last validated/updated 9/23/2024

Contract for Deed Guide

Dorchester County Contract for Deed Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the Contract for Deed form.
Included Dorchester County compliant document last validated/updated 7/17/2024

Completed Example of the Contract for Deed Document

Dorchester County Completed Example of the Contract for Deed Document

Example of a properly completed South Carolina Contract for Deed document for reference.
Included Dorchester County compliant document last validated/updated 10/22/2024

Property Disclosure Form

Dorchester County Property Disclosure Form

Required for residential sales.
Included Dorchester County compliant document last validated/updated 10/7/2024

Lead Based Paint Disclosure Form

Dorchester County Lead Based Paint Disclosure Form

Required for residential property built before 1978.
Included Dorchester County compliant document last validated/updated 10/22/2024

Annual Accounting Statement Form

Dorchester County Annual Accounting Statement Form

Send to Buyer for fiscal year reporting.
Included Dorchester County compliant document last validated/updated 8/6/2024

When using these Contract for Deed forms, the subject real estate must be physically located in Dorchester County. The executed documents should then be recorded in the following office:

Dorchester County Register of Deeds

201 Johnston St / PO Box 38, Saint George, South Carolina 29477

Hours: 8:30 to 5:00 Monday through Friday

Phone: (843) 563-0181 and 832-0181 for Summerville

Local jurisdictions located in Dorchester County include:

  • Dorchester
  • Grover
  • Harleyville
  • North Charleston
  • Reevesville
  • Ridgeville
  • Saint George
  • Summerville

How long does it take to get my forms?

Forms are available immediately after submitting payment.

How do I get my forms, are they emailed?

Immediately after you submit payment, the Dorchester County forms you order will be available for download directly from your account. You can then download the forms to your computer. If you do not already have an account, one will be created for you as part of the order process, and your login details will be provided to you. If you encounter any issues accessing your forms, please reach out to our support team for assistance. Forms are NOT emailed to you.

What does "validated/updated" mean?

This indicates the most recent date when at least one of the following occurred:

  • Updated: The document was updated or changed to remain compliant.
  • Validated: The document was examined by an attorney or staff, or it was successfully recorded in Dorchester County using our eRecording service.
Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Dorchester County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Dorchester County including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.

Can the Contract for Deed forms be re-used?

Yes. You can re-use the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have more than one property in Dorchester County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Dorchester County.

What are supplemental forms?

Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by South Carolina or Dorchester County. These could be tax related, informational, or even as simple as a coversheet. Supplemental forms are provided for free with your order where available.

What type of files are the forms?

All of our Dorchester County Contract for Deed forms are PDFs. You will need to have or get Adobe Reader to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.

Do I need any special software to use these forms?

You will need to have Adobe Reader installed on your computer to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.

Do I have to enter all of my property information online?

No. The blank forms are downloaded to your computer and you fill them out there, at your convenience.

Can I save the completed form, email it to someone?

Yes, you can save your deed form at any point with your information in it. The forms can also be emailed, blank or complete, as attachments.

Are there any recurring fees involved?

No. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.

In South Carolina, "Contract for Deed" transactions, also known as land contracts or installment sale agreements, are governed by general property and conveyance laws. Although there is no specific statute exclusively for Contracts for Deed, several sections of Title 27 of the South Carolina Code of Laws are particularly relevant. These laws guide the recording, execution, and enforcement of such contracts, ensuring legal protection for both buyers and sellers.

Key Sections of Title 27 Relevant to Contracts for Deed:
Section 27-3-10: Execution and Acknowledgment of Deeds: This section mandates that deeds and other conveyance documents be executed and acknowledged by the grantor, witnessed by two individuals, and acknowledged before a notary public.

Section 27-7-10: Recording of Conveyances of Real Property This section specifies that deeds, mortgages, and other conveyances of real property must be recorded in the office of the register of deeds in the county where the property is located. Recording provides public notice of the buyer's interest and protects against subsequent claims.

Section 27-39-220: Residential Landlord and Tenant Act – Applicability While primarily focused on landlord-tenant relationships, some provisions may apply to Contracts for Deed, especially those involving residential properties.

Section 27-35-20: Forcible Entry and Detainer This section outlines the procedures for recovering possession of property if a buyer defaults under a Contract for Deed. The seller may need to follow these procedures to regain possession.

Section 27-50-10 et seq.: Residential Property Condition Disclosure Act Although primarily addressing the disclosure of property conditions in traditional sales, this act's principles may be applied to ensure that sellers in a Contract for Deed disclose known property defects to the buyer.

Practical Steps for Compliance: Includes essential terms such as parties' names, property description, purchase price, payment schedule, interest rate, default provisions, and remedies.

Execution and Witnessing: Both parties must sign the contract. The signatures must be witnessed by two individuals who then sign the document as witnesses.

Notarization: Have the contract notarized by a licensed notary public to verify the identities of the signatories and the voluntary nature of their signatures.

Recording the Contract: Submit the notarized and witnessed contract to the county register of deeds office where the property is located for recording.

Pay the required recording fees. Recording the contract provides public notice and helps protect the buyer's equitable interest in the property.

Disclosures: Ensure that the seller discloses any known property defects, following principles similar to those in the Residential Property Condition Disclosure Act.

Default and Remedies: Contract outlines the process for addressing defaults, including notice requirements and grace periods. Specifies remedies available to the seller, such as acceleration of payments, termination of the contract, repossession of the property, and legal actions such as ejectment or foreclosure.

Navigating Contracts for Deed in South Carolina requires careful attention to the relevant laws and proper execution of the agreement. By following these guidelines, both buyers and sellers can ensure their interests are protected and comply with state regulations.

Uses: Residential property, rental 1-4 units, condominiums and planned unit developments.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Dorchester County recording requirements for formatting. If there's an issue caused by our formatting, we'll make it right and refund your payment.

Save Time and Money

Get your Dorchester County Contract for Deed form done right the first time with Deeds.com Uniform Conveyancing Blanks. At Deeds.com, we understand that your time and money are valuable resources, and we don't want you to face a penalty fee or rejection imposed by a county recorder for submitting nonstandard documents. We constantly review and update our forms to meet rapidly changing state and county recording requirements for roughly 3,500 counties and local jurisdictions.

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November 1st, 2024

Very thorough with plenty of instructions. Nice to be able to fill in the forms on my computer at my own pace and edit if needed. Jim

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October 25th, 2024

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October 25th, 2024

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Don R.

January 26th, 2022

From Pennsylvania here. Documents are great and easy to fill out however you are lacking a couple of things. You only provide the option for a Grant Deed when you purchase by your county which is Mercer County for me. Why not give the ability to get a Warranty Deed that better protects the Grantee?
Also, being from Pennsylvania and in a county that mined Buituminous Coal we are required to include the Coal Severance Notice and Bituminous Mine Subsidence and Land Conservation Act Notice. You can check the box on your Deed form that they are required and attached but you do not provide the verbiage or form for this. You state that you know what each county requires and include everything required but you do not include these two required Notices. This has been a requirement for years and the wording never changes. I had to look for these Notices and hand type this information and include it on another seperate page after the Notary section on the Deed. The Grantor has to sign the Coal Severance Notice and be witnessed by a Notary so I had to add another place for the Notary and will have to pay twice for witnessed signatures when it could have been included in your document. My Deed from 2003 was done that way and then the Notary statement after that so it was only one notarized witness of signature.

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Charles C.

July 8th, 2021

Easy to use. Good price. I like that it came with instructions and an example.

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Phyllis M.

August 3rd, 2019

Using your site was very easy. I found what my friend said she wanted easily and downloaded it to retype her quitclaim deed.

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janice l.

June 12th, 2021

Exact form needed with perfect instructions. Easy Peazy!
Just got my fully recorded document back today. Saved hundreds.
Just make sure and read all the instructions .

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Kari G.

July 15th, 2021

The service was prompt and attentive to my questions. I would've just appreciated a heads up that I also needed to contact the county directly (and provide contact info) to receive a certified copy of the document (Notice of Commencement) in order to submit the certified copy to the Building Department. This was an extra step that I haven't had to complete before using another eRecording service. Even if this extra step is a result of the county's system. I would still have expected a head's up (since there wasn't any info regarding this on the county's site for eRecording).

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Julie B.

April 23rd, 2020

I wish all the forms had been in a downloadable package so that it wasn't so difficult to make sure I had them all. Too many pages open on the click throughs. I haven't had a chance to fill them out but hope they are all there.

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Teresa M.

July 22nd, 2020

Very easy and quick. Report gave me the info I needed to know. Will use again if I need to.

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Carol C.

October 20th, 2021

Thanks. So easy to navigate. Also very useful. I recommend.

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Carnell G.

September 26th, 2020

The basic setup was fine but, I need to review the document in its entirety for accuracy which I have yet to do so. So far so good. The monthly fee is more than I need for right now.

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darryl c.

July 24th, 2021

very easy to use website

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May 13th, 2020

First time user but very pleased with user friendly service and reasonable cost.

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February 19th, 2021

Awesome and so easy Thanks

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