Protect Your Property: Beware of Deed Scams Targeting Homeowners

One of the most frequently asked questions we receive from our clients comes immediately following a real estate closing. You’ve just sat down with your closing attorney and signed off on all necessary paperwork to complete the purchase of your new home or investment property. Upon the transfer of property, your newly signed deed will get filed into the Massachusetts Registry of Deeds in the county where the property is located. For more information about the closing process for real estate transactions, check out our full guide to navigating the buying process here. Once this happens, the filing information becomes available to the public through this Registry. News of your exciting new purchase really does travel quickly.

The same is true for many of our estate planning clients. Many of our clients choose to convey their property into a trust for a number of reasons. Primarily because trust agreements avoid probate, they help to minimize your estate tax, and they grant you full control over the distribution of your property just to name a few. For a full guide to the pros and cons of Trusts and Wills, check out our detailed overview here. Once the conveyance of property into the trust occurs, the deed will then be filed with the appropriate registry.

But this filing helps to create an opportunity for scammers. There are methods for businesses or individuals to actually sign up to receive notifications when new properties are officially added to the Registry. This is why once you close, you are likely to be bombarded with mail in the subsequent days requesting payment for things like a “property assessment profile,” a “recorded deed notice,” or a “copy of your certified deed and title.” All of these requests are scams. Below you will find an example of one of these schemes that is designed to induce panic and urgency, pressuring you into make a hasty and unnecessary purchase. These types of notices should be completely disregarded.

Don’t give in to these scam requests. At Lane, Lane & Kelly, our commitment is to your peace of mind. When you walk out of our office after your closing, you will have all of the documents that you need, including copies of your executed (signed) deed along with a copy of the recorded deed. You will also leave with more than just paperwork – you'll have the assurance that there is nothing left for you to do other than enjoy your newly purchased home.

Are you buying or selling real estate or wish to setup your estate plan? We can help.

Contact our office today by calling (781) 848-0040 or submitting our form here.