F R O M T H E C L E R K O F C O U R T & C O M P T R O L L E R P a t F r a n k - H i l l s b o r o u g h C o u n t y C l e r k o f C o u r t & C o m p t r o l l e r
a free tool to fight Property fraud
i encourage you to sign up today and urge all of your clients who own real estate to do the same .
© Can Stock Photo / thai6D
Realtor Rod Banks ’ assistant made a startling discovery last year at a vacant Valrico home he had listed for sale . Someone had moved in .
Xenia McBroom was on a routine inspection at the Diamond Hills home when she made the discovery . “ She called me and I was just shocked ,” Banks recalls . The $ 300,000 house in the gated community had sheets in the windows for curtains . Once he determined that someone really was living there , Banks called the Hillsborough County Sheriff ’ s Office .
The ensuing investigation would uncover an alleged scheme involving two so-called sovereign citizens who believe the laws of Florida do not apply to them . Both were charged with property fraud , but the mess they left behind has occupied Banks for more than 18 months . The buyer backed out , and the bank that owned the property spent six months clearing the title , ultimately selling the home to another buyer for a lesser price . And Banks is still waiting to be repaid for the expenses he incurred .
“ It ’ s really annoying and no one wins in the end ,” Banks said .
As this case shows , property fraud is expensive and all too common . If it can happen to a bank , it can happen to anyone . It happened to Banks not once , but twice . A second home he had listed also was targeted by a scammer in a similar scheme .
But there is help to avoid falling victim to such scams . A free serviced offered by Hillsborough County Clerk of Court & Comptroller Pat Frank can protect property owners by alerting them to any official document recorded in their name .
Not only is it free , it takes less than a minute to subscribe online . Go to hillsclerk . com and click on the box labeled Property Fraud Alert . Simply follow the instructions to subscribe .
Once you subscribe , you will be alerted whenever a property-related document is recorded in your name . You can be alerted by e-mail , text message , or phone . The alerts cover a wide range of documents , including deeds , liens , mortgages , or legal notices related to any property you own .
“ If you receive an alert about activity not initiated by you , this early notification can provide valuable time to stop criminals in their tracks ,” said Clerk of Court & Comptroller Pat Frank . “ I encourage you to sign up today .”
Receiving a property fraud alert does not mean you have been victimized . Most transactions are legitimate . You will be able to quickly determine whether a document is legitimate , and if it is not , you can alert authorities to investigate . Reviewing your property records is an important way to protect yourself from fraud . It can also uncover errors .
You can receive alerts that track documents by your name , or any variation of your name , as well as the name of a business . It is similar to the kind of alert you might receive from a bank about unusual activities involving your account . Knowing about it quickly can make a big difference .
Realtor Banks was unaware of the service until recently . He is now a subscriber and will encourage all of his clients to become subscribers too . He is also including a link to sign up in every work email he sends . “ I am happy to help the public and put a clamp on these criminals ,” he said .
Get social with the HCBA ! Follow us on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn and Instagram .
1 2 J A N - F E B 2 0 1 8 | H C B A L A W Y E R