Home Title/life lock programs?

[Carpediem44DB]

So I figured there is quite the diverse group of folks here with a very wide range of personal net worth.
I see and hear adverts every day about the need to purchase personal identity theft protection and home title protection. They always trot out washed up has-beens to endorse these products so I naturally think its just another scam.
There is a nationally broadcast infomercial scaring folks by showing them how easy it is for someone to transfer a title for property at the county records office. I know criminals are trying everything under the sun to rip folks off but I can't see how a deed can be transferred with out verification of Identity. What do you guys think, is this such a big threat that one should pay for insurance to cover this? I never buy extended warranties of any kind because its such a huge profit center for retailers. Any one have personal experience that would suggest that the exposure is real or just another way to scare folks into parting with their money?

 

[Pirate Lady]

I’ll go first. I have worked from home/remote 3 years long before covid. Every day i keep track of the score between Joe & Jimmy commercials and text wife the score at noon.
I see every pill, IceT, car shield, drive time annoying black girl in green suit, rezulti, zanac lawyer, L&O episode 20 times over, bath fitter, lizard insurance, doug and the big bird, and a lot more. They are made to scare the old folks like my parents. If the FCC would focus on these scams and predators instead of who shows a tit nipple we wouldn’t have these scams. But thats just me.

 

[Pirate Lady]

And dont get me started about paying the 20 million a year they give that fkn ugly Flo out of my insurance payment. That bitch doubles my insur cost.

 

[MonacoMike]

So I figured there is quite the diverse group of folks here with a very wide range of personal net worth.
I see and hear adverts every day about the need to purchase personal identity theft protection and home title protection. They always trot out washed up has-beens to endorse these products so I naturally think its just another scam.
There is a nationally broadcast infomercial scaring folks by showing them how easy it is for someone to transfer a title for property at the county records office. I know criminals are trying everything under the sun to rip folks off but I can't see how a deed can be transferred with out verification of Identity. What do you guys think, is this such a big threat that one should pay for insurance to cover this? I never buy extended warranties of any kind because its such a huge profit center for retailers. Any one have personal experience that would suggest that the exposure is real or just another way to scare folks into parting with their money?

Title insurance folks that also handle the recording of deeds say there is nothing the advertisers can do to stop the fraudulent recording of deeds. Maybe provide assistance straightening it out, but that is all.

And it is total BS that one could lose their property...

 

[Pirate Lady]

2years ago, i got a call from my 80+yo dad. Somebody called him and said my son, his grandson was in jail and he needed to post bail, so my dad called me and i said no he at work, not in jail. Dont give them your card number. Fkn Russians, i hate them fkn pricks.

 

[JimT]

The vast majority of deed recordings are done by attorneys well known to the folks in the registrars office. They come in every day. Some sketchy looking Russian dude no one knows that comes in with a transfer deed to record is going to get a lot attention. He would need to prove that the signatures on the transfer deed are legitimate. The documents need to be originals and notarized with a raised seal. Is it possible for someone with knowledge to falsify everything needed to get a deed recorded? Maybe, but if the deed was fraudulent you are not going to lose your property.

 

[Carpediem44DB]

2years ago, i got a call from my 80+yo dad. Somebody called him and said my son, his grandson was in jail and he needed to post bail, so my dad called me and i said no he at work, not in jail. Dont give them your card number. Fkn Russians, i hate them fkn pricks.

My mom got the same call from a supposed Canadian Constable at the boarder telling her my nephew was arrested for drug possession and needed bail money. Luckily I happened to stop by during the call. I took the phone from her and not so politely told the ass hole to fuck off! You should have seen the expression on her face!

 

[Carpediem44DB]

The vast majority of deed recordings are done by attorneys well known to the folks in the registrars office. They come in every day. Some sketchy looking Russian dude no one knows that comes in with a transfer deed to record is going to get a lot attention. He would need to prove that the signatures on the transfer deed are legitimate. The documents need to be originals and notarized with a raised seal. Is it possible for someone with knowledge to falsify everything needed to get a deed recorded? Maybe, but if the deed was fraudulent you are not going to lose your property.

My thought exactly, might take a few phone calls and visits to the county seat but not worth the cost of the insurance that is peddled. Most probably bite cause it’s only $9.95 per month. People don’t do the math and see what that costs over time.

 

[Woody]

Title insurance folks that also handle the recording of deeds say there is nothing the advertisers can do to stop the fraudulent recording of deeds. Maybe provide assistance straightening it out, but that is all.

And it is total BS that one could lose their property...

Ha, worried about your property? Get into Biden's 30x30 vision or whats behind the 'someday you will own nothing and be happy' comments.

 

[markrsimon]

The vast majority of deed recordings are done by attorneys well known to the folks in the registrars office. They come in every day. Some sketchy looking Russian dude no one knows that comes in with a transfer deed to record is going to get a lot attention. He would need to prove that the signatures on the transfer deed are legitimate. The documents need to be originals and notarized with a raised seal. Is it possible for someone with knowledge to falsify everything needed to get a deed recorded? Maybe, but if the deed was fraudulent you are not going to lose your property.

I sold my last house on my own. Drafted all the legalize, got the notary and signatures, and went to the county recorders and got everything filed. The new notary’s dont use the old school raised press - they have stamps. Totally easy enough to fake if one wanted to. Filing the paperwork with the county was so incredibly easy - here’s the papers, here’s the filing fee - and voila - they stuck a filing number on them, scanned them in, and they are now part of the public record.

So yes - I do think if someone wanted to screw with you that bad - they could. It would then be a legal he said / she said battle, disproving signatures, etc. The entire chain of events with public records is loosely stitched together which is why when you buy a house the mortgage company wants title insurance.

 

[MonacoMike]

...So yes - I do think if someone wanted to screw with you that bad - they could. It would then be a legal he said / she said battle, disproving signatures, etc. The entire chain of events with public records is loosely stitched together which is why when you buy a house the mortgage company wants title insurance.

No it is not. Title insurance insures you got a clean title when the purchase is made. The owners title insurance and insured closing insures all previous liens are paid off and title is clean. The lenders title policy insures the lender of the same if they foreclose and take the property. It does nothing to protect from future claims.

 

[markrsimon]

No it is not. Title insurance insures you got a clean title when the purchase is made. The owners title insurance and insured closing insures all previous liens are paid off and title is clean. The lenders title policy insures the lender of the same if they foreclose and take the property. It does nothing to protect from future claims.

I believe we're saying the same thing - you a bit better than I have. I was not trying to imply title insurance did anything more than what you have stated. I threw it in there to help highlight the fact that (a) if the record keeping and associated current state of titles/deeds was a sure thing, then (b) we would not need title insurance from outside parties to help guarantee that we had a clean title.

 

[Woody]

I believe we're saying the same thing - you a bit better than I have. I was not trying to imply title insurance did anything more than what you have stated. I threw it in there to help highlight the fact that (a) if the record keeping and associated current state of titles/deeds was a sure thing, then (b) we would not need title insurance from outside parties to help guarantee that we had a clean title.

...and even then you're at the mercy of the person that does the search

 

[Golfman25]

Many county databases are online. You could check your property regularly to see if there has been any shenanigans.

 

[ttmott]

Many states have safeguards in place to make sure you are who you are when changing title and records.

 

[MonacoMike]

I believe we're saying the same thing - you a bit better than I have. I was not trying to imply title insurance did anything more than what you have stated. I threw it in there to help highlight the fact that (a) if the record keeping and associated current state of titles/deeds was a sure thing, then (b) we would not need title insurance from outside parties to help guarantee that we had a clean title.

My take was that we were saying the opposite. I was saying that title insurance verifies clear title before closing. Title insurance does nothing for a fraud that would occur after closing.

 

[MonacoMike]

Many states have safeguards in place to make sure you are who you are when changing title and records.

All deeds must be notarized by licensed bonded notary. In a fraud, either the notary is fake or failed to properly Identify who is signing the deed.