SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) — Real estate fraud, such as creating fake deeds, has raised concerns for homeowners across the country.
Now, a county in Northwest Florida is doing something about it.
The Santa Rosa County Clerk of Court has launched a free service to help property owners prevent real property fraud and scams.
“This type of fraud occurs when criminals assert ownership over someone else’s property by creating fake deeds, which are then filed in public records as a legitimate property transfer,” W. Timothy Weekley, General Counsel representing the county, said in a news release.
How Santa Rosa County residents can protect themselves
Here’s how property owners can help protect themselves from real property fraud:
- Register for a free Recording Notification Service through the county clerk’s webpage. The service allows people to subscribe and receive an automatic email notification when a document is recorded for a name to which they have subscribed.
- Anyone can sign up by following a link to the service on the Clerk of Court’s webpage.
For more information, call the Clerk of Court’s Recording Department at 850-983-1966.
