1022                             Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 349

Subtitle 3. Record Books and Indexes

3-301. Record books—general duties of clerks.

The clerk of the circuit court for each county (and of the Superior
Court of Baltimore City) shall record all deeds and other instruments
affecting property in well-bound books to be styled "Land Records",
provided that the recording fees shall first be paid by the person
offering the document for record. The clerk shall endorse thereon
the time he receives the document for record. Any deed or other in-
strument affecting property which also affects personal property
shall be so recorded in such land records only, and not in the
"Financing Records" of such county (or the Superior Court of
Baltimore City). In such case, if an interested party shall so re-
quest, the index of "Financing Records" provided for in Article
95B, Subsection 9-402(6) shall include a notation that such instru-
ment has been recorded among such "Land Records", and the instru-
ment shall be indexed in the general alphabetical index provided in
§ 3 203 3-302 of this title. Such notation and indexing shall have the
same effect as if such instrument were recorded in full among such
"Financing Records".

3-302. Indexes.

(a)    General. The clerks shall make and maintain a full and
complete general alphabetical index in well bound books of all deeds,
mechanics' liens, and other instruments in their respective offices.
The index shall be both in the names of each grantor, bargainor,
donor, mortgagor, and assignor, and each grantee, bargainee, donee,
mortgagee, or assignee, and shall refer to the book and page of the
record of the instruments designation same. The clerks shall index
all deeds or other instruments retaining a vendor's lien both as deeds
and as vendor's liens, in the same manner as mortgages are indexed.
A separate index for mechanics' liens may, however, be maintained.

(b)    Indexing of assignments and releases of mortgages and
deeds of trust. In all clerks offices where land records are not re-
corded in book form, the clerks shall index all assignments of mort-
gages and deeds of trust and releases, or partial releases, of deeds
of trust, whether in long or short form, in the general alphabetical
indexes, and shall place an entry in the general alphabetical index
where said instrument is indexed, on the same horizontal line, indica-
ting the place of record of the original instrument being assigned or
released.

3-303. Microfilming.

The clerk shall make a microfilm picture or copy of every recorded
document and shall transmit said microfilm pictures or copies to the
Archivist of the Hall of Records at the end of each year. When
requested by the Archivist of the Hall of Records, the clerk shall
also make a microfilm picture or copy of the general index.

3-304. Plats.

General. The clerk shall securely fasten one copy of each
plat described under § 3-103 3-108 in a book provided for that purpose
or shall record the plat. The clerk shall also promptly send one copy
of each such plat to the supervisor of asesssments ASSESSMENTS