if you wanted to find...where would you look?

If You Wanted to Find….Where Would you Look?Public Records, Forms, & Current Awareness Resources

PROFESSOR LISA SMITH-BUTLER

ADVANCED LEGAL RESEARCH

FALL 2014

Public Records

Public records of private events with legal import exist.

What type of events? Marriages Divorces Mortgages Real Property Transactions (buying or selling) Licensure (medical, legal)

Publication of Public Records

During the print era, public records were primarily available in either a courthouse or a vital records office.

These materials were housed in offices that were typically state or county governmental offices.

Publication Today?

Today, much of this material is online in digital format.

Westlaw and Lexis provide access to real property records, court records and other information records.

Some reputable, free Internet sites for public records, exist but most of this information is fee based.

Bloomberg Law

Lexis Advance

WestlawNext

Public Records

If You Wanted to Find…Where Would You Look?

I need to find:

The marriage license for Eva Amurri, Susan Sarandon’s daughter, who was married in Charleston , S.C., and the date the marriage occurred;

the 2009 sales amount paid in the real estate transaction involving the property at 520 S. Fig Tree Lane, Plantation, FL 33317;

the property tax paid in 2014 for the property at 993 Portabella Lane, Charleston, S.C. 29412; &

the taxable property value of the house at 2 Tradd St., Charleston, S.C. 29401?

Where would I look for answers?

Eva Amurri

520 S. Fig Tree Lane, Plantation, FL 33317

993 Portabella Lane, Charleston, S.C. 29412

2 Tradd Street, Charleston, S.C. 29401

Answers

1. To answer Eva Amurri’s question, use the Charleston County Government’s web site, selecting Online Services. The answer is license number 2011003633 and they were married on October 29, 2011.

2. Use Lexis Advance Public Records, selecting Real Property, to find the 2009 sales price of 520 S. Fig Tree Lane. Input the address at the template. The answer is $260,000.00

3. Use the Charleston County Government’s web site, again selecting Online Services. From there, use Choose Pay Taxes and View Records. The answer is $1,114.23 is due in 2014 property taxes.

4. Use the Lexis Advance Public Records, selecting Real Property, to find the sales price of 2 Tradd St., Input the address in the template. The purchase price was $550,000.00 which will also be the initial taxable value.

South Carolina State Government

South Carolina: Vital RecordsBirth, Death & Marriage

U.C.C. (Uniform Commercial Code)

Professional Licensing

Sex Offenders

Charleston County Government: Records

Forms

Charleston County Government: Forms

South Carolina: Court Forms

U.S. Government: USA.Gov

Bloomberg Law: ?

Lexis Advance

WestlawNext

Current Awareness

Current Awareness Resources

Blogs or Blawgs

Readers (Feedly or Law Ratchet)

Bloomberg, Lexis Advance, WestlawNext Alerts

Practical Law

Law 360

Google Alerts

Paper Chase

Blogs

Readers: Pre-FilledCheck out Law Ratchet

Readers: Customizing Your OwnFeedly

Bloomberg Alerts

Google Alerts

Lexis Advance Alerts

WestlawNext Alerts

Practical Law

Law 360

Paper Chase

Don’t Forget: The Daily Table of Contents of the Federal Register

Questions?

Stop by, call, or email the Reference Desk.