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County to subscribe to land-notification service after spike in deed-fraud reports
Summary
Register of deeds briefed commissioners on frequent attempts at deed fraud in Lawrence County and recommended a $3,800/year land-notification service (five-year contract) to alert owners when documents are recorded; commissioners authorized the expenditure and allowed the county official to sign once integration is ready.
The Lawrence County Commission authorized staff to subscribe to a land-notification service to help property owners detect fraudulent recordings after a rise in deed-fraud reports.
A county official reported numerous incidents where strangers listed properties for sale, used fake IDs and forged documents to attempt to transfer title. The official said the proposed service would let property owners register by name or legal description and receive immediate email or text alerts if a document is recorded against their name: “if anything gets recorded against your name, it notifies you either by email or by text.”
Staff recommended the Bridal service (no software fee) at $3,800 per year on a five-year contract; the cost can be paid from the county’s modernization and preservation (M&P) fund. Commissioners voted to authorize the expenditure and permitted the designated county official (referred to in the record as Davida) to sign the contract once the county’s records integration is ready. Staff said the system is automated and will require minimal ongoing staff time.
Commissioners noted six other counties are already on the program and characterized the subscription as a low-cost measure to provide early warning to owners. The county will post a link on its website where residents can enroll and receive alerts.
