Rockland County Clerk Offers Free Scam Alert In Move To Minimize Use Of Forged Land Documents To Steal Houses, Equity Out From Under Local Homeowners

In Rockland County, New York, The Journal News reports:

• A new program can help alert Rockland County residents about potential scams that target their home and property. Called PropertyCheck, the software program is available through the County Clerk's Office. It works by alerting residents via email whenever a property transaction is recorded in their name, County Clerk Paul Piperato said.
• "It's about trying to protect our residents," Piperato said. "A person may be unaware that this is going on. This helps them find out."
• Rockland County District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said the new program could have helped prevent recent incidents when forged deeds and mortgages were filed in an unsuspecting property owner's name.
• "All too often, property owners are unaware or surprised when a lien is filed on their property, or other illegitimate documents are filed in their name," Zugibe said. "Had this tool been in place over the past few years ... that never would have happened."
• Rockland County Executive Assistant District Attorney Gary Lee Heavener said there are dozens of types of property scams. A lot of scams can be prevented if a property owner quickly finds out about a transaction in his name, which can also allow authorities to get involved sooner, Heavener said.
• In some cases, a scammer will apply for and receive a mortgage and even pay the mortgage for several years to prevent discovery of the crime, Heavener said. Years can go by until the unsuspecting property owner receives a lien or foreclosure notice. "No one knows about it until someone knocks on the door," Heavener said.
• But it can take months or years to straighten out all the legal paperwork in such cases as the rightful property owners work to clear their name and credit with banks and other lenders, even though they did nothing wrong, Heavener said.(1)

For more, see Rockland offers free scam-alert service for property owners.

(1) Typically, it's up to the victimized homeowner to file a civil lawsuit known as a quiet title action, in which he/she has the burden of proving that the rogue land documents are forgeries, in order to remove any 'clouds', or claims (either legitimate or purported) on the title and otherwise clear up the mess and reclaim his/her home title.