Tift County grants chairman authority to cancel expired CHIP security deeds

At a Tift County Commission meeting, commissioners voted to give the chairman authority to execute cancellations for security deeds tied to the county's CHIP (Community Home Investment Program) down-payment assistance when the required 10-year ownership period has passed.

County staff (S3) told commissioners that when homeowners accepted CHIP assistance they signed a promissory note requiring 10 years of ownership before a security deed would be released. Staff said some deeds have exceeded that 10-year period and need formal cancellation so title companies will clear closings. "This one was from 2001," the staff member said, explaining the underlying record and retention timeline, and adding that records must be kept seven years after the promissory period.

The board approved a motion to give the chairman administrative authority to sign cancellations for deeds that have met the 10-year requirement; the motion was seconded and the chair called the vote in favor. The action was described as administrative rather than requiring a return to the full board for each individual deed.

Commissioners and staff discussed records and how many deeds might be affected; staff noted they still have records for years they referenced (noted in the meeting as '25, 26, and 27') but did not provide a precise current count of deeds needing cancellation. The chairman said staff will search the lien docket and identify additional deeds that qualify for cancellation.

The action is intended to resolve title issues for homeowners nearing or at sale, avoiding delays in property closings while preserving the county's recordkeeping requirements. No statutory citation was presented at the meeting; staff described the request as an internal administrative housekeeping action.

The board subsequently returned to other business after the vote; no further public comment was recorded on this item.