Marin DA Takes Aim Against Deed Scams

MARIN COUNTY, CA — Marin has launched a new program that aims to protect residents from deed scammers.

Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk Shelly Scott and District Attorney Lori E. Frugoli released a video Tuesday announcing the launch of the program.

The program takes aim against one of the nation’s fastest-growing white collar crime trends in which scammers trick homeowners into signing over their property.

In a case, a New York lawyer defrauded eight homeowners facing foreclosure out of their properties worth a total of $8 million, The New York Daily News reports.

Prosecutors said the man told his victims they needed to sign over deeds so he could negotiate with lenders to prevent foreclosure, according to the report.

Title companies and the County Recorder’s Office have been handling more real estate transaction paperwork recently because of a rush to refinance home loans and take advantage of historically low interest rates. The Recorder’s Office staff only reviews requirements for recording and has no authority to refuse to record a properly prepared document even if it is suspected to be fraudulent.

“Deed fraud is a serious crime,” Scott said in a statement.

“We’ve seen reports from Southern California of rightful homeowners having to spend lots of money in legal fees to resolve issues after they have been harassed by criminals. We want to be proactive with this and prevent Marin residents from being victimized.”

Frugoli said her staff is particularly focused on deed fraud because Marin has a large population of senior long-term generational homeowners whose homes have built up a lot of equity.

Marin has the highest percentage of seniors out of California’s 58 counties, and preventing financial elder abuse is a shared goal with the new program.

“These homeowners could easily be victimized by friends and/or family members,” Frugoli said in a statement.

“We are happy to collaborate on this program with the Assessor-Recorder's Office. Our real estate fraud investigator will address any reported fraud or suspected fraud.”

Scott and Frugoli offer several recommendations for homeowners to protect themselves from such fraud.

• Check the County Recorder often using the online records search tool to make sure that there are no deeds or mortgages you don’t know about on your property.
• If your property is not occupied, check often to make sure it is not occupied illegally.
• Ask someone you trust to look after your house if you are going to be away for a long period of time.
• Do not let mail pile up if you are going out of town.
• Make sure that the Assessor and Tax Collector have the correct mailing address for you or the person who should receive notices about your property.
• Contact them if you suddenly stop receiving notices that you used to get, such as your tax bill.
• Report suspected fraud to the District Attorney’s office immediately.

Learn more about the real estate fraud program online.