New court service alerts property owners when deeds or other documents are filed
For those willing to forge documents, stealing someone else’s home may not be difficult.
Anyone who wishes to generally can file a document at the county courthouse, and most property owners likely would have no idea that a fraudulent claim to ownership had been made.
However, some court officials are starting to develop new systems intended to protect those targeted in such schemes, which are much more common than they used to be. Among those taking a proactive approach is the Pinellas County, Florida, clerk’s office, which is encouraging property owners to sign up for a free service, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
If a document is filed in the name of a subscriber, the Property Fraud Alert service notifies the individual by phone or email. The alert provides the book and page number of the document, along with other details such as the date and time of filing. This allows the individual to look up the document on the court’s website.
However, the service could be more useful to those with uncommon names, because the service doesn’t distinguish, say, between different John Smiths, simply sending the alert to all registered individuals with that name, according to the article.
There is a cost for equipment, as well as an annual subscription fee, but the county is covering it, the Times reports. So far, only Pinellas and Palm Beach counties offer the service to property owners in Florida. The Property Fraud Alert website lists other counties around the county where the service is available.
See also:
ABAJournal.com: “Wave of Foreclosures and Vacant Homes Sparks Surge in Quit-Claim Deed Fraud”
New York Times (reg. req.): “Two Arrested as New York City Focuses on Deed Fraud”