A question about squatters getting title to your home.

[pjciii]

Noticed it more and more in the news. They walk into the clerk of courts and present bogus home sale paperwork and they request that the Title be changed and they have Title to your home.

How can you lock your Title do they couldn't accomplish this?

 

[LTZ25]

Not likler to happen in Ga.

 

[JustUs4All]

So long as people are willing to lie, frauds will be perpetrated. This fraud is perpetrated on the office of the Clerk of Court who files the fraudulent documents in the County records. It could be lessened if it was made a requirement that all persons wishing to enter a legal transaction that required a filing in the county records did so in person with enough documentation that he was who he said he was to choke a mule. It could be lessened further by requiring that any Clerk of Court that allowed a fraudulent filing should pay for any loss incurred by any innocent party relying on the fraudulent record that was filed.

This would put a severe hardship on all parties and still might not stop all of it.

 

[Toliver]

Not likler to happen in Ga.

You're right, not likely. Not as frequently as other places for sure but it does occur. However, most of what I've seen has been unoccupied homes, either for sale or abandoned. Those people put a lot of work into making the paperwork look real. It can be a monumental pain in the butt to get rid of them.... (the legal, non-violent way)

 

[GeorgiaBob]

Noticed it more and more in the news. They walk into the clerk of courts and present bogus home sale paperwork and they request that the Title be changed and they have Title to your home.

How can you lock your Title do they couldn't accomplish this?

First - It's in the news because a few companies who have access to the electronic form of title transfers figured out how to cross check the names and addresses. Then they started a new business selling you, for a monthly fee, a way to get notified immediately anytime your property shows up on the list. They sell that service by first telling the local and national news people about "poor widow's home stolen by title transfer thieves." Then after the "news" has time to generate fear they advertise in the local market. Yes, title theft really does happen, but not that often.

If you are in a low population county just go talk to the Clerk of the court (Superior Court?) or one of the employees responsible for recording deeds. Ask what they can do (or they can let you do) that would make it more difficult to transfer title without you being physically present with your Passport and DL in hand.

In larger counties, the volume of transfers probably means that you won't get much help from the Deeds or Records office. You could talk to a title attorney and get some ideas. Or you could pay the folks who created (or copied the creator of) the "Title Lock" business. For a fee, monthly or annually, they promise to track deed filings and notify you if title to your home changes.

 

[westcobbdog]

Noticed it more and more in the news. They walk into the clerk of courts and present bogus home sale paperwork and they request that the Title be changed and they have Title to your home.

How can you lock your Title do they couldn't accomplish this?

You lock it and your equity position in the property forever, by purchasing "owners" title insurance whenever you buy any sort of real property, buy it at the closing table. It's a 1 time sting then you will always have that protection.
Right now I have a listing in Roswell that is under contract, but in the few days it was active on the market a scammer is already trying to send over contractors (3) to give him bids to rehab it. We need stiffer penalties for these arrogant predators.

 

[basshappy]

Noticed it more and more in the news. They walk into the clerk of courts and present bogus home sale paperwork and they request that the Title be changed and they have Title to your home.

How can you lock your Title do they couldn't accomplish this?

Home owner title insurance is a good start. Then due diligence makes it difficult - shred documents, keep personal info personal, regular password change policy, empty your mailbox daily, watch credit score, etc.

 

[pjciii]

@GeorgiaBob
Thank you I will go downtown tomorrow and poke around and see what I can find. I just had a will, Healthcare directive, power of attorney and end of life done. He is the same lawyer that I closed on my house with. Maybe I will stick my head in his office and see what he can tell me.

You're right, not likely. Not as frequently as other places for sure but it does occur. However, most of what I've seen has been unoccupied homes, either for sale or abandoned. Those people put a lot of work into making the paperwork look real. It can be a monumental pain in the butt to get rid of them.... (the legal, non-violent way)

What about not legal and violent. Couldn't I lean on stand my ground. Opppp's

 

[pjciii]

OK another stupid question:
I thought I had Title insurance when I closed. Is that an assumption? I know I paid for a title search to make sure free and clear.

 

[GeorgiaBob]

OK another stupid question:
I thought I had Title insurance when I closed. Is that an assumption? I know I paid for a title search to make sure free and clear.

If you closed through a regular title attorney, the title insurance is almost an automatic. A quick scan through your closing papers will verify that. A title search is NOT the same as title insurance. If you had a search, your closing attorney probably made certain you have title insurance. But having title insurance is no guarantee that a scammer can't get title to your property.

Once someone has title out of your name, and probably transfers title a couple more times to muddy the waters, you are still stuck with having to prove you didn't sell the property in the first place. In the extremely rare situation that someone illegally obtains title to your property, don't expect energetic help from the title insurance company, or the county, or the police. They will likely do their jobs, but chasing down what happened and fixing it will mostly be your problem.

That would still be true if you bought the oversight through one of those "title lock" companies. The advantage is you would know about it much sooner. The quicker you act to reverse the illegal transfer, the easier it will be.

 

[dwhee87]

The automatic title insurance on your closing statement is your lender's. It protects them, not you, but you pay for it. You can buy your own, also, for an additional fee. I have always bought my own at closing. Peace of mind for a few hundred dollars.

 

[westcobbdog]

OK another stupid question:
I thought I had Title insurance when I closed. Is that an assumption? I know I paid for a title search to make sure free and clear.
[/QUOTE

Lawyers add it to every settlement statement their pre closers prepare, so you as buyer would have had to tell the law firm at the closing table to remove that line item charge. If you didn’t do that you are covered. Nothing else needed to do.

 

[westcobbdog]

The automatic title insurance on your closing statement is your lender's. It protects them, not you, but you pay for it. You can buy your own, also, for an additional fee. I have always bought my own at closing. Peace of mind for a few hundred dollars.

Nowadays all law firms automatically charge buyers for lenders and owners coverage, if a loan is in play. Otherwise owners coverage is always there. I have seen buyers have it removed but non that I repped. The folks who bought a new home 25~30 yrs ago in an Austell new home community learned how important owners title ins is when the real owner of the farm showed up from Europe after they had bought their new home.

 

[NCHillbilly]

This stuff is crazy. I'd be in prison, but they would no longer live in my house.

 

[tr21]

100% agree with you on that NCH ! they might have a fake title but I can promise you that they or anyone else will ever spend a moment in it until I am dead one way or another and I wont be going alone !

 

[Lukikus2]

No way am I going to pay a company money to give them information about my house they don’t know about. Most everything is a scam anymore.

 

[Meriwether Mike]

The State of Georgia has set up a website where you can enter your name and properties address and you will be notified if anyone tries to change the title. It works as I was notified about the sale on my Talbot County property.

 

[Jim Baker]

The State of Georgia has set up a website where you can enter your name and properties address and you will be notified if anyone tries to change the title. It works as I was notified about the sale on my Talbot County property.

Do you have a link to that website?
Is there a form to fill out?

 

[ryanh487]

See this is why you treat anyone in your home without permission as a deadly threat the second you find them there. You only get one chance for a legal kill, if you have to come back be sure to bring a good shovel and some lime.

 

[Throwback]

My elderly mom has seen this on tv. She’s worried to death it will happen to her.
The scum who gin up this fear to make old people buy their product should be treated to the same punishment of those that try the scam.