After purchasing a home in Audrain County, the homeowner received a notice of recording in the mail.
The letter from Home Title Services stated that title and real estate fraud are on the rise and asked for $159 in exchange for title monitoring services.
This raised red flags for Audrain County Recorder of Deeds Theresa Allen when the owner brought her the notice last week asking if her office had sent it out.
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After purchasing a home in Audrain County, the homeowner received a notice of recording in the mail.
The letter from Home Title Services stated that title and real estate fraud are on the rise and asked for $159 in exchange for title monitoring services.
This raised red flags for Audrain County Recorder of Deeds Theresa Allen when the owner brought her the notice last week asking if her office had sent it out.
“We here at the Audrain County Courthouse would like to make homeowners aware, this letter did not come from any office in the Audrain County Courthouse,” Allen said in an email.
Allen also said that her office would not send out a notice of recording like the one the landowner received.
The letter included the owner’s name, address, transaction amount and other “public” details that are not actually available online.
“We don’t even know how much somebody pays for a piece of property, that’s not public knowledge,” Allen said, adding that one would have to pay to access such records. “I’m not sure how they got this information, honestly.”
The Audrain County Recorder of Deeds office offers a free property fraud program called Property Fraud Alert. Those who sign up have the option of being notified of any activity in the recorder’s office within 24 hours by email, phone call or text message.
“It does not cost the taxpayer anything,” Allen said. “It is part of our software program contract that they provide for us. They do not sell or give out the homeowners’ information to our software company and, of course, the recorder’s office won’t sell or give out property owners’ information as well.”
Anyone with concerns about their property can contact Allen at 573-473-5830, Assessor Melissa Maupin at 573-473-5827 or Collector Amy LeCount 573-473-5824 at the Audrain County Courthouse.
