Recorder warns of property deed letters

Submitted information

Van Wert County Recorder Kim Hughes warns county residents of a deed purchase scam. Hughes said her several county residents have contacted her office as a result of receiving letters soliciting them to purchase a copy of their property deed.

One of the companies sending out letters is located in Columbus and refers to itself as “Local Records Office”, and the other company, called “First Documents,” is located in Corona, California. The mailings are made to look as if they are from an official government records office, but are not. The companies offer to obtain a copy of a person’s property deed for a fee of between $83 and $89.

“The wording in the letter implies that you may pay up to $89 for a copy of your deed at the Recorder’s Office, which is very misleading,” Hughes said. “Copies of your deed can be obtained anytime from the Recorder’s Office at a cost of 25 cents per page. A typical deed is two pages and costs 50 cents.”

Hughes added that any deed recorded after January 1993 can be viewed and copied for free from the Recorder’s website at www.uslandrecords.com.

The Ohio Recorders Association, to which Hughes belongs, is actively in support of proposed state legislation to regulate the solicitation of property deeds, while adding this instance is not the first time deed solicitation letters have been reported in the area.

“Please remember that, once your deed is filed with the Recorder’s Office, it is a permanent record of your ownership and protects your property rights,” Hughes said. “It makes no difference whether you have a copy, or even the original deed, in your possession; your rights of ownership are safe and secure.”

Residents of Van Wert County should contact the Recorder’s Office for further information or assistance at 419.238.2558, or email recorder@vanwertcounty.org. The office is located in Room 206 of the Van Wert County Courthouse, 122 E. Main St. in Van Wert.

Any solicitation letters brought to the Recorder’s Office will be forwarded on to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office for review.