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Recorder of Deeds warns residents about mail scams and promotes property-record alert system
Summary
Washington County’s recorder of deeds told the commissioners a postcard circulating in the county appears to be a marketing scam and encouraged residents to sign up for the county’s record-alert notifications via the land-management vendor.
Gary Perrell, Washington County Recorder of Deeds, used the public-comment portion of the commissioners’ meeting on Feb. 6, 2025, to warn residents about a postcard that referenced county deed records but is associated with a likely scam. Perrell said a county resident received the postcard and that a Google search of the listed phone number associates it with high-pressure sales tactics for a likely non-existent warranty.
Perrell said the postcard contains no company name and that the county’s deed records are not at risk. He told the board that deed copies can be obtained from the recorder’s office for nominal fees (he said typical office fees are about $2 for a deed copy) and cautioned residents against paying private services that charge higher prices for the same records.
Perrell also described the county’s record-alert system, operated through the county’s land-management vendor (LandX, as stated in the meeting). Residents who sign up for the alert will receive notifications by their chosen method—text, email or other—when a document affecting their property is filed in the recorder’s office. Perrell said alerts could reflect routine events (for example, mortgage transfers or satisfactions) and that recipients should contact the recorder’s office to confirm the filing if they are unsure.
Perrell said he had filed a report with the Better Business Bureau about the postcard and that county staff will have a presence at a forthcoming real-estate expo in March where residents can learn more about records and sign up for alerts.
During the meeting the chairman asked how to sign up; Perrell said instructions and an email address are available on the county web page and in a handout at the recorder’s office. He encouraged residents to call or stop by the office for assistance.
Perrell concluded by reiterating that residents should be cautious of solicitations that present county-record terminology but are not from the county recorder’s office.
