The Montgomery County Clerk’s Office has announced a partnership with their real estate recording software provider, Fidlar, to provide the citizens of Montgomery County a service to notify property owners when a real estate transaction takes place – by an e-mail or automated telephone call.
Property fraud is getting to be a major white collar crime in America. One way of deception is to record a deed, mortgage the property and the thief takes the money received from the mortgage and runs. The real property owner doesn’t know anything has happened until the property had been foreclosed on due to nonpayment on the mortgage and the mortgage company is trying to move them out of their own home.
Montgomery County Circuit Clerk Debbie Baxter stated, “As recorders, our job is to make sure when the document is recorded it meets the recording requirements set out by Arkansas law and it’s properly notarized. We have no way to verify the validity of a document when it comes into the office for recording.”
The chances are slim this could happen in Montgomery County but the clerk’s office has decided to be proactive and possibly deter any would-be thieves.
Property Fraud Alert is available at no cost to Montgomery County property owners. You can sign up by going online to www.propertyfraudalert.com or calling 1-800-728-3858. If you receive a notice and if you have questions, you can give the Clerk’s Office a call at 870-867-3521.
If property fraud is suspected it may take legal action to fix. However, the clerk’s office staff hope that if it is caught early there’s a better chance of catching the perpetrators and bringing them to justice.
