SYRACUSE -- Onondaga County Clerk Sandra Schepp is warning homeowners of a “deed scam’ that has crept into the area recently.
It involves a letter or e-mail solicitation offering to research and obtain a certified copy of your real estate for a fee of $50 to $85 dollars. The mailing comes from Washington D.C. and can appear to be a legitimate government document.
The scam has been reported throughout the northeast.
Many homeowners or their lawyers already have their deeds. County Clerk Schepp reminds homeowners that if they need a certified copy of the deed to their property, they can get one from the County Clerk’s Office for as little as $5, depending on the length of the deed. Uncertified copies are even less.
If you have received one of these letters or e-mails, Schepp says you can report it to the County Clerk, or you can simply throw it away.
The Clerk’s Office files and records all documents concerning real estate ownership, mortgages and transfers. To request a copy of your deed in person, you can go to the Onondaga County Clerk’s Office at Onondaga County Court House at 401 Montgomery Street, Syracuse.
