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Pierce County launches free 'Owner Alert' email system to flag recorded property documents
Summary
Pierce County Auditor announced a free 'Owner Alert' notification service to email property owners when documents (deeds, liens) are recorded in their name; the office said 1,500 people had signed up and aims for about 14,000 enrollments by next year while urging recipients to contact law enforcement or attorneys if alerts appear suspicious.
Pierce County Auditor Farmer on Tuesday introduced "Owner Alert," a free email notification service that alerts people when a document—such as a deed or lien—bearing a registered name is recorded in Pierce County.
Farmer told the County Council the program had more than 1,500 sign-ups as of the morning of Dec. 9 and that the office’s goal is to enroll about 5% of the county’s 284,000 property taxpayers (roughly 14,000 people) by the end of next year. "This service does not prevent fraud, but it does alert people so that you can quickly take action," Farmer said.
The auditor said the county’s recording office is legally required to accept recordings that meet basic formatting standards and cannot verify identity or ownership at the moment of recording. He cited Federal Trade Commission figures showing more than $10 billion in fraud losses reported in 2023 and said that number is likely underreported because there is no national database.
Owner Alert is a forward-looking system that notifies registrants about new recordings; it is not a historical search. Registrants can monitor by owner name, parcel, subdivision, condominium, or notary name, and may sign up for family members’ properties.
If a registrant receives an alert for a document they did not expect, the auditor advised first reviewing the recording via a link included in the email. Some recordings (for example, mortgage releases and refinancing documents) are legitimate. If a recording appears suspicious, Farmer recommended contacting local law enforcement and an attorney; he noted the auditor’s office cannot itself reverse recorded documents. "Notification systems like this are a short-term band aid, critical but not comprehensive," Farmer said, adding his office is working with other auditors on draft legislation to allow an initial deed-fraud deterrence process that could include a temporary freeze under future law.
The auditor said the office will kick off public outreach with a news release and a digital toolkit and will follow up with councilmembers. Enrollment and outreach details will be made available on the auditor’s website.
