Eric Sears, Greene County recorder, has collected a half-dozen recent solicitation letters from Greene County residents.
Sears said it’s hard to judge how many people are taken by the schemes.
“We don’t hear from the ones that fall for it,” he said. “After they receive it, they might be reluctant to say they paid that fee.”
It’s also a good idea to check your deed occasionally at the county recorder’s office to make sure the property owner is listed properly.
Last week, a local man was indicted on 25 counts in connection of falsely claiming ownership to multiple properties across the area, targeting vacant houses as well as those owned by the elderly — and the dead — authorities and victims say.
Officials say deed and mortgage fraud is on the rise. Some counties, including Montgomery County, offer a free service to keep tabs on vital property records and alert you if documents have been altered.
Here are local counties’ auditor and reporter websites where you can find publicly available property information for free:
- Butler County auditor property search
- Butler County recorder
- Champaign County auditor property search
- Clark County auditor property search
- Clark County recorder
- Darke County auditor property search
- Darke County recorder
- Greene County auditor property search
- Greene County recorder
- Miami County auditor property search
- Miami County recorder
- Montgomery County auditor property search
- Montgomery County recorder
- Preble County auditor property search
- Warren County auditor property search
- Warren County recorder
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