We have received notice from the Maricopa County Recorder’s office of a property deed scam. Homeowners should be cognizant of letters going out across Maricopa County that urge recipients to pay to receive a copy of their property deeds.
The official-looking (however, they are NOT official government letters from the Recorder’s Office) correspondence comes from companies that have been sued, fined, and banned in other states for deceptive practices.
The companies listed on the letters are:
Local Records Office
First Documents
National Record Service, Inc.
Additional companies also engage in the practice.
The letters urge homeowners to send a check for between $59.50 and $89.00. They promise to return a certified deed and, sometimes, a property profile that includes information such as parcel numbers, nearby home values, and local schools.
This information is readily available to the public for much less money, or for free. You, as the homeowner, should have the original deed and are able make a copy at any time. Homeowners may also request copies of their property deeds from the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office by calling 602-506-1511 or visiting http://www.recorder.maricopa.gov.
If you receive one of these letters, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office is encouraging people to contact their office. They want to know if consumers are being solicited for services and if they feel like they are being taken advantage of. Contact the Arizona Attorney General’s Office in Phoenix at 602-542-5763 or 800-352-8431. Consumers can also file complaints online by visiting the Attorney General’s website at http://www.azag.gov/complaints/consumer.
If you have any questions or concerns, or have received a letter and would like us to take a look at it to help you decide if it is fraudulent, please do not hesitate to contact our office at any time by telephone at 623-551-9366, or by email at carly@anthemlawfirm.com
