Question 1: I just received this notice in the mail—Are you saying that someone has committed fraud against me?
Answer:
The notice is automatically sent out to the Owner of Record (on file with the County Assessor) any time a Grant Deed or Quitclaim Deed or similar document is recorded with the Recorder’s Office. Questions to consider when you receive a notification:
-Have you…
…transferred title to your property recently?
…added a family member to your title?
…transferred ownership of your property to a Trust?
…refinanced?
All of the above situations will result in a document(s) being recorded and a notification letter being sent.
Question 2: This notice says that a (insert document type) document was recorded against my property. What does that mean?
Answer:
- Grant Deed: transfers title to real property
- Quitclaim Deed: It is a form of deed that conveys or releases any interest that the grantor may have acquired in real property
If you have recently transferred title, added a family member to your title, or created a trust then you will likely have recorded one of these documents and there is no cause for concern.
Question 3: I don’t remember signing the document mentioned, can you check to see if this is legitimate?
Answer:
Please contact the County Recorder at (559) 675-7724. Have the document number and date of recording available so that we may better assist you.
Question 4: I am neither the Grantor nor the Grantee on the attached document—does this mean that someone is committing fraud against me?
Answer:
Many times, the party that drafted the document put the incorrect Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN) on the document. The APN may be found on the first page of the document and often within the Legal Description. In these cases, you may want to contact the party who recorded the document to record a Correction Deed to reflect the correct APN. This does not necessarily mean that fraud is being committed. It may simply be a typographical error and may not affect your property at all.
Question 5: I sold the referenced property a few weeks ago, but I’m in receipt of this letter. Shouldn’t it go to the new owner?
Answer:
The letters are automatically generated and are mailed out within 10 days of the document being recorded. The update to the Assessor’s Ownership Roll typically occurs 8-10 weeks after a document is recorded. If are the "former" owner of the subject property, you may disregard the notice.