Fresno County deputy recorder promotes free property‑owner alert at Kingsburg council meeting

Manjeet Dhaliwal, deputy recorder and business manager for the Fresno County Assessor‑Recorder’s Office, told the Kingsburg City Council on Oct. 15 that the office is offering a free Property Owner Protection Alert (POPA) to notify residents when documents are recorded using their name or assessor’s parcel number.

“Property title fraud…is a growing threat that can cause homeowners their most valuable asset,” Dhaliwal said, describing how criminals can use forged documents or stolen identities to transfer ownership or take out loans on properties. She said POPA emails alerts when a deed, lien or other recorded document is indexed and recommended contacting the district attorney’s real estate fraud unit if a homeowner receives an unexpected notice.

Dhaliwal said the service is free, typically a brief online signup, and can be configured to alert by name, business name or APN. She noted that, when an owner signs up by APN, the alert applies only to that single parcel; alerts by name may produce unrelated notices if a name is common.

Council members asked for local incidence figures. Dhaliwal said she did not have a precise tally for Fresno County but that reported cases and federal involvement have increased nationwide: “It’s growing each year.” She directed residents to the Fresno County website (departments → recorder) and to QR‑coded postcards distributed at the meeting for step‑by‑step signup assistance.

The presentation concluded with staff offering follow‑up support by phone for residents who need help signing up.