The Hallandale Beach City Commission on Nov. 5 proclaimed a day in honor of Broward County Property Appraiser Marty Kerr and recognized the office's Crimes Against Property (CAP) unit for its work combating deed and title fraud.

The proclamation and remarks from Kerr and Mayor Joy F. Cooper highlighted the Owner Alert notification program, a countywide enrollment system that notifies property owners when a recorded document could affect ownership. Kerr and the proclamation text said more than 306,000 Broward County properties were enrolled in Owner Alert and that the CAP task force had investigated roughly 540 properties countywide, including 17 in Hallandale Beach.

Why it matters: Local officials said deed fraud targets older and economically vulnerable residents. The CAP unit pairs the property appraiser's office with law enforcement and prosecutors to build criminal cases against perpetrators, officials said; the commission used the recognition to encourage residents to sign up for Owner Alert at bcpa.net.

Kerr described the CAP unit as a multi‑agency task force he assembled with funding from the county and support from the Broward Sheriff's Office and the state attorney's office. Kerr said the partnership has led to 52 arrests and a pattern of convictions he described as effectively enforced: "We've had about 52 arrests now. We've had 31 convictions," he told the commission, and described several cases in which defendants received multi‑year sentences. Kerr said some cases involved elaborate schemes—filing quiet‑title lawsuits, fabricating deeds and wills, and using false service addresses to conceal actions.

Mayor Joy F. Cooper read the commission's proclamation, which cited the CAP unit's interlocal agreements, its multi‑jurisdictional membership and accomplishments. The proclamation stated that CAP's efforts had prevented an estimated $304,000,000 in real‑estate theft countywide and secured approximately $680,000 in restitution for victims, language that reflected figures read into the record at the meeting.

The commission presented proclamations to CAP unit members in the chamber. Kerr urged Hallandale Beach property owners to enroll in Owner Alert to receive text, email or mailed notifications and to contact law enforcement if they receive an unexpected document affecting their title.

Speakers quoted in this story: Marty Kerr, Broward County Property Appraiser; Joy F. Cooper, Mayor of Hallandale Beach.

Ending: The commission's recognition was a nonlegislative presentation; no formal vote was required. Commissioners and staff used the occasion to spotlight outreach and encouraged residents to register for Owner Alert to protect property interests.