Deed Copy Scam Targeting Homeowner's

Started by GlenL • 3 replies • 1261 views

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GlenL (Ohio)
Posts: 5,491

Posted:

For those of you looking for filler material for your newsletters - Homeowners across the country are receiving "official looking" letters often with a Washington DC address telling them how important it is to have a certified copy of their property deed. Beware, chances are it's a scam to get them to buy an unnecessary service that will get them a copy of their deed for a hefty fee. According to Consumer Reports, such letters look official, with companies invoking high-pressure sales tactics to convince you to buy their services for $80 to $100. You can get a copy of your deed for around $10 at your County Recorder's Office or often for free online.

Studies show that 5 out of 4 people have problems with fractions

LarryB13 (Arizona)
Posts: 4,099

Posted:

We got one of those letters last year right after we bought our current home. I laughed and tossed it. Guess what was delivered to us at closing: the original deed! I do not need a copy. If someone ever needed a certified copy of our deed they would not ask me for it; they would order one directly from the county recorder.

Speaking of real estate scams: In the late 1800's a man arrived in Phoenix, Arizona Territory, with his Mexican-born wife and a copy of a Spanish land grant that had been issued to his wife's ancestors a century earlier. Under the treaty that ended the Mexican War, Spanish land grants are enforceable in the US. The land grant had given all of what is now central Arizona to his in-laws. The man then charged homeowners $25 per lot to waive action against them. He did quite a brisk business until someone unmasked his "Spanish land grant" as a forgery.

GlenL (Ohio)
Posts: 5,491

Posted:

What can I say? The quote most attributed to P.T. Barnum says it all - "There's a sucker born every minute."

Studies show that 5 out of 4 people have problems with fractions

LauraR5 (Tennessee)
Posts: 220

Posted:

I got one of those letters in the mail Friday. Since my actual deed is locked upstairs in my filing cabinet, I just chucked it.

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