Q: We recently bought a house and then we received a letter in the mail stating that if we want a copy of the deed, we have to pay $75. With all the closing costs we paid, shouldn’t that be included?

A: It’s a scam. Do not pay any person or company money to get a copy of the deed after closing. You’re correct.

It is included in the closing costs. The original deed that was signed and notarized at closing has been sent to the county by the title company for recording.

Once it is recorded at the county Register of Deeds, they will mail the original recorded deed to you. Depending on the county, it could be as quick as two weeks or it could be up to eight weeks. If you do not receive it in that time frame, contact your real estate agent and they will contact the title company to follow up to make sure it was recorded. (Reminder: It’s always a good idea to put your recorded deed in a safe deposit box or a fireproof box at the very least for safe keeping.)

Deed fraud notification

Since I’m covering deed copy scams, I thought it would be a good idea to mention that there is deed fraud (aka title fraud) being committed throughout the United States. Unscrupulous individuals are filing fake deeds on unsuspecting property owners trying to steal their property. Sometimes, they will do this with the intent of trying to sell the property and pocketing the proceeds. Sometimes, they will then take out loans against the property and never make a payment and then the property goes into foreclosure. This is when the unsuspecting homeowner finds out there is a problem — when a foreclosure notice is put on their door. Fraudulent liens can also be recorded against the property. Does this happen a lot? No, but it does happen enough to be of concern. Local law enforcement along with the FBI will get involved. The bad news is that a homeowner can spend thousands of dollars proving that they are the rightful owners. The good news is that you can sign up online for free fraud alerts at the Register of Deeds in your county and get notified by email if anything is recorded that involves your name and property. It doesn’t stop the fraud, but allows you to be aware right away and start taking action quickly.

Steve Meyers is a real estate agent/Realtor at RE/MAX First with seven offices serving Southeast Michigan and is a member of the RE/MAX Hall of Fame. He can be contacted with questions at 586-997-5480 or Steve@MeyersRealtor.com You also can visit his website at AnswersToRealEstateQuestions.com.