An error of a clerk ought not to hurt.

Explanation

A clerical or ministerial error in recording or transcribing does not defeat the substance of a proceeding — the law will not allow a scrivener's mistake to destroy a party's rights.

Where this applies

• A courthouse clerk misspells the defendant's last name on the judgment — the clerical error does not void the judgment or erase the defendant's obligations; the court corrects the record and the substance stands.
• A county recorder accidentally transposes two digits in a parcel number when recording a deed — the scrivener's mistake does not destroy the buyer's ownership; the deed is reformed to reflect the correct parcel.
• A marriage license lists the wrong date of birth for the bride due to a typist's error — the clerical mistake does not invalidate the marriage; the record is corrected and the legal effect remains intact.