Consumer Fraud House Scams

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Are there any laws protecting a home owner from having their personal information posted on a county property tax appraiser's website? Down in south Florida, we've just had a situtation where a couple owned their home. Their information and property information and personal tax information was gleaned from the public records online and a scam artist filed a forged quit claim deed signing over the house to himself for $1, his name was similar to the original homeowner. Only the middle names were different. It costed them $4000 in legal fees and over a year to get their house back and yes, the scammer is in jail. but all of this could have been avoided if personal information was protected. I am a soon to be homeowner and Disabled vet, I am quite concerned about this and I wanted to know what if anything I can do to protect myself and prevent my information from being put out there?

 

[CdwJava]

Besides a name and parcel number, what information is made available to the public? I can't imagine they have bank info or social security numbers, do they?

Ownership of property is a matter of public record.

- Carl

 

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the scam artist did a Quit Claim deed....gathered all the information off the county website...forged the documents and filed into with the county. No one in the county bothered to look. Pure incompetence at protecting the rightful homeowner. If you have the address, you pull up where the loan was originated, all the specs on the house, permits, address, buyers and sellers, how much it was sold for and when, how much square footage. It goes on and on. And yes who the owners are. All with just an address. Check your own County and where you live and see how much information is truly there. This story was on our local news. It took this couple over one year and $4000 in legal fees to get there house back from a crook who submit a forged quit claim document for $1, yes ONE DOLLAR!

 

[CdwJava]

And all the info you stated is a matter of public record. Personal identifying information is not (and none of that appears to have been provided on the web site). These stories are tragic and disgusting, and I would hope that criminal charges have been forwarded (assuming a crime has been committed), or, at least, a civil suit to help recoup the owner's losses.

- carl

 

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I understand it's a matter of public record, and yes the scam artist is behind bars. But my original question was not answered. What can a home owner or rightful property owner do to protect themselves when the laws are set up against honest citizens?

 

[CdwJava]

That's kind of broad ... sort of like asking what you can do to protect yourself from getting into a traffic collision. I suppose you can avoid owning property, but that's not likely the answer you are looking for.

If all that is required to obtain such a lien is information from public records, all I can suggest is what many people out here do - check the property records annually so that there are no surprises. I know officers that do that in the central part of this state because we have a bunch of these "Freeman" that place liens on the property owned by police officers, prosecutors and even judges from time to time. So, just make it a point to check your property and tax records - and you credit information - at least annually.

- Carl