NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
1971 SESSION

CHAPTER 657
HOUSE BILL 845

AN ACT AMENDING G.S. 161-14 TO REQUIRE THAT INSTRUMENTS PRESENTED FOR REGISTRATION BE OF ACCEPTABLE QUALITY FOR RECORDATION BY PHOTOGRAPHIC OR MICROPHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES.

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

Section 1.  G.S. 161-14 is rewritten to read as follows:
"§ 161-14.  Registration of instruments. — (a) The register of deeds shall immediately register all written instruments presented to him for registration. When an instrument is presented for registration, the register of deeds shall indorse upon it the day and hour on which it was presented. This endorsement forms a part of the registration of the instrument. All instruments shall be registered in the precise order in which they were presented for registration. Immediately after indorsing the day and hour of presentation upon an instrument, the register of deeds shall index and cross-index it in its proper sequence. He shall then proceed to register it on the day that it is presented unless a temporary index has been established.
The register of deeds may, in his discretion, establish a temporary index in which all instruments presented for registration shall be indexed until they are registered and entered in the permanent indexes. A temporary index shall operate in all respects as the permanent index. All instruments presented for registration shall be registered and indexed and cross-indexed on the permanent indexes not later than thirty days after the date of presentation.
(b)	All instruments presented for registration shall be on paper and in ink of a color, quality, size, and condition that will permit the production of legible and permanent reproductions thereof by photographic or micro-photographic processes. If an instrument presented for registration is in a condition that will not permit such reproduction, the register of deeds shall indorse thereon the following notation: "Record of poor quality due to condition of original document." He shall then register the instrument in the usual manner."
Sec. 2.  This act shall take effect upon its ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 23rd day of June, 1971.