- November 20, 2024
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Property owners beware: Scammers are trying to trick Flagler County residents into paying $83 for a copy of their deed, a public record available for free through the county clerk's website.
Flagler County Property Appraiser Jay Gardner noticed the issue when residents started showing up in his office with official-looking papers labeled "deed processing notice."
"All these people are getting these 'deed processing notices' in the mail if they did something with their property," Gardner said, something like buying or transferring a house,
"It's very official-looking, and it lists your parcel number and a 'compliance response date,'" he said.
The top-left corner of the mailing also lists its origin: a "Property Transfer Services" in Sioux Falls, S.D. Print at the top and bottom of the document says it is not a bill, and that a deed can be obtained from a county clerk "for up to $83.00."
That fine-print likely keeps the business legal, but it's still an attempt to scare people into paying money for something they can get for free, Gardner said.
"Someone not familiar with the process wouldn't be sure if this is something that they have to do," he said. "It tricks people into paying for something that they don't need."
The county maintains electronic records of property sales and deeds, he said, and there's no legal requirement for a resident to have a paper copy of their deed.
Deeds are public record. To view or print a deed, use the county's records search application by going to flaglerclerk.com and clicking "records," and then click "official records" in the dropdown menu and conduct a search according to name or document type.
