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LISBON – Columbiana County Recorder Theresa Bosel is making property owners aware about the return of a deed scam that first occurred in the county several years ago.
Bosel said some property owners have been calling her office after receiving official-looking documents in the mail advising them of the need to have a copy of their deed and offering to provide one for $83.
“It’s absolutely a scam, and every county recorder in Ohio has said so,” she said.
First, you only need a copy of your deed when buying or selling property, refinancing your mortgage or transferring the title. Secondly, the recorder’s office provides copies for far less than $83.
“People (who received these mailings) have been calling and saying ‘Should I get one?’ Absolutely not,” she said. “First off, you normally don’t need a copy of your deed, and if you want a copy, veterans get one for free and it’s $2 a page for everyone else, and they’re usually only two pages.”
The most recent mailings began arriving in October and have continued, resulting in phone calls to the recorder’s office and other county offices. Bosel estimated her office has been contacted by phone or in person by more than 50 people with questions about these mailings.
Bosel provided the Journal with copies of these mailings, which are from a California company and titled “Recorded Deed Notice.” It recommends the property owner obtain “a copy of their Current Grant Deed and Property Assessment Profile. These documents can provide evidence that the property at (specific address) was in fact transferred or has interest to the” property owner.
The document carries a disclaimer at the end stating it was not endorsed by a government agency, nor is it a bill, and the property owner is under no obligation to pay the $83 unless you accept the offer.
Bosel is concerned this may not matter, especially to elderly property owners who decide to err on the side of caution by obtaining a copy of their deed for $83.
“This is more benign than some of the others (in past years). Those said you have 10 days to pay or you’re in trouble,” she said.
The first wave of mailings occurred several years ago, and Bosel believes they are the result of companies using Ohio’s public records’ laws to get electronic copies of all county deeds, which are sold to companies making these mailings. Bosel has been the subject of two lawsuits by companies seeking electronic copies of deeds.
While it is generally not illegal to charge for services that people can get for free or significantly less money, Bosel said these mailings are misleading. “I just want people to know they don’t have to pay for that …. It’s a scam and it’s wrong,” she said.