Beware of Solicitation Scam to Buy the Deed to Your House
Beware of solicitations for the retrieval of your Deed, Mortgage or other filed documents. It has become more common for companies throughout the United States to solicit new home buyers and individuals who have recently transferred the Deeds on their property to utilize their services for the retrieval of the documents.
Avoid the ‘Deed Processing Notice’
The notice will generally indicate that the letter being sent to you is official business and that it is imperative that you have a copy of your Deed, Mortgage or other relevant filed documents. You have probably received e-mails or regular mail letters with these offers.
The offer, of course, is not free. Generally, the charge is between $80 and $120 for the retrieval of these documents.
Although these letters look official, they are being sent by private companies in an effort to convince you that you need their services to retrieve these documents.
You do not need to pay to have these documents received. After a real estate closing, you will receive your original Deed as part of your real estate transaction from your attorney or title company within a couple of months.
With regard to filed Mortgage documents or other filed documents relating to real estate, the documents are generally available for free on line or if you appear at your County Clerk’s Office. There may be a small copying charge, but certainly not the $80 to $120 being requested by these companies.
Legally & Legitimately Obtaining a Copy of your Legal Real Estate Document(s)
It is imperative that at a real estate closing you obtain at least a copy of your Deed and Mortgage if you are a purchaser and that you receive confirmation from the attorney or title company that you will be receiving the original filed documents at some later date.
If you need assistance in obtaining your Deed or Mortgage documents or if you have general legal questions regarding Real Estate Law, contact Gruber, Colabella, Thompson, Hiben & Montella for a free consultation.