SHOULD I HAVE A CERTIFIED DEED?

The Facts: I recently received a letter from a company suggesting that I should have a certified copy of my deed. The company offered to get the deed for me for $85.

The Question: Is this a scam?

The Answer: Yes, since most people will never need a certified copy of their deed and obtaining one is easy and costs a fraction of what the company is charging. Although companies like the one that sent you the letter often refer to an article published by the Federal Citizen Information Center ("FCIC") as a reason for purchasing a certified copy of your deed, the FCIC website contains a warning about the deceptive practices of these companies.

When you purchased your property, the original deed should have been forwarded to the county clerk for recording. Once the deed is recorded, the original deed is returned to the property owner or his/her attorney. If you do not have your deed, you can obtain a copy from the county clerk in the county where your property is located. Since you may be able to request a copy of your deed by mail, you should call the county clerk’s office to find out the best way to proceed. If, for some reason, you do need a certified copy of your deed, the county clerk can also provide you with a certified copy of your deed. Rather than paying the $85 charged by some private companies, you will only have to pay the county clerk about $5.00 to get a certified copy of a deed up to 4 pages long.

Once you have your deed, you should keep it in a safe place, along with other important documents like your birth and marriage certificates, will, power of attorney, healthcare proxy, titles to vehicles you own insurance policies.