Costly Deeds Offer a Dud Deal

Friday, May 9, 2008

LITTLE ROCK – Sorting through the pile of solicitations you get in the mail each day, you may come across a pitch from the National Deed Service offering to sell you a certified copy of your property's deed for $69.50. In the solicitation it emphasizes the importance of having a certified copy of your deed so that you can prove the property is legally in your possession. While one should maintain a copy of a property's deed, most consumers already have one or, alternatively, can obtain one on their own for a small fee. Accordingly, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel issued this consumer alert to help Arkansans avoid overpaying for an unnecessary service.

"While this pitch may not be technically illegal," said McDaniel, "it is a clever attempt to exploit consumers who may not know that they can go to their county courthouse and get a copy of their deed for much less than $70."

National Deed Service acknowledges on its solicitation that "most government records are available for free or at a nominal cost from government agencies;" however, it claims that the service it offers consumers is more convenient than going to a courthouse, which may not be necessarily true in all cases. Additionally, most homeowners already have a copy of their deed, as it is usually included with the settlement papers at closing time.

Also included in the National Deed Service's solicitation is a form requesting the property owner's name, address and credit card information to make the $69.50 payment. As with any solicitation from an unknown source, consumers should not disclose such personal information, as doing so could lead to the theft of their identities.

Here are some tips to remember if you receive a service-oriented offer like the one from the National Deed Service:

- Do your homework. There are numerous solicitations that offer to perform services for you for a fee, despite the fact that you can do the research on your own and often for free. In addition to obtaining a deed, other pitches include those offering to search old government databases and records to see if the government owes you money, for example. Before paying for a service like this, it will save you time and money to call the local government agency in question and figure out if you can do the research on your own.

- Never provide personal or financial information in response to a solicitation.

- Contact the Public Protection Department of the Arkansas Attorney General's Office at (501) 682-2341 or toll-free statewide at (800) 482-8982 if you have questions or concerns about solicitations you have received.