All local counties in The Villages ® area – Sumter, Lake and Marion – offer a free service to notify you of changes to your property deed. This does not stop a fraudulent change, but you are notified quickly so you can take corrective action and notify the police.
As background, the threat of mortgage fraud and identity theft crimes continue to rise, and all too often victims of these types of fraudulent activities are unaware their homes have been effectively stolen or impacted. While Property Fraud Alert does not prevent fraud from happening; it provides an early warning system for property owners to take appropriate actions should they determine possible fraudulent activity has taken place.
A common property fraud scenario involves a criminal filing a bogus deed making it appear that the actual owner had transferred ownership of a parcel to someone else. The criminal then takes that deed to a bank, fraudulently obtains a mortgage, and then disappears with a large amount of money. If the realtor and title company are not paying proper attention, they can even sell the home. While it can happen to anyone, perpetrators of property fraud often prey on the elderly, people in long term care facilities, absentee property owners and owners who spent large parts of the year out of town.
In addition, contractors and others might put a lien against your home for claims that you owe them money for work they have done, whether legitimate or not. When you are ready to sell your home, these liens can delay the process as they must be satisfied somehow before the sale can complete. If you know about these early, then you can try to resolve them in advance and make your home sale much smoother.
With Property Fraud Alert, subscribers will be notified when the name they have submitted is used in any recording activities within the Recorder’s office. Use the following links to register in your county:
Sumter County – https://www.sumterclerk.com/property-fraud-alert
Lake County – https://www.lakecountyclerk.org/administrative_services/recording_notification_service.aspx
Marion County – https://nvweb.marioncountyclerk.org/PropertyAlert/