Certified Copy of Deeds of Real Estate: Why Pay Someone to Receive Something that You Could Acquire Yourself?

Recently citizens in the State of Kansas were receiving letters from a company encouraging that a certified copy of the addressee's deed to property be purchased for a fee of $69.95. I find companies like this are doing nothing more than preying on other individuals. This letter was revealed to be somewhat of a scam in that the same deed can be acquired in many states from the Register of Deeds or County Clerk for little more than a few dollars. Let's take Geary County for instance.

In Geary County, Kansas the copy fee is $1.00 for the first page and 50 cents for each additional page plus a $1.00 certification fee. The copy fee is set by my Counties Register of Deeds and the certification fee is set by Kansas State statute. At this fee rate a one page deed would cost $2.00 and a two page deed would cost $2.50. The previously mentioned company could acquire any deed simply by calling the appropriate recording office and asking for the last deed of record for a particular address which would be provided by the homeowner. (In my State these are public records and can be acquired by anyone.) The company would then add the cost of postage to recording office and then to the consumer of 42 cents each way. That would bring the grand total to $2.84 for a one page deed...

And for this they will charge the consumer $69.95 giving them, the company, a whopping $67.11 profit on the transaction. Not bad unless you are the consumer. I for one cannot afford to just throw away $67.11. I agree that some Counties or even States may charge more for copy fees but I cannot see spending that kind of money to acquire a document that I could acquire myself by making a simple phone call.

I found the notice dated March 8, 2007 on the Federal Information Center (FIC) site helpful but wonder how many people actually check out such letters by looking at the FIC site or contacting their local County offices. The tone of the letter I viewed made it sound as if the Federal Government was encouraging citizens to have the certified copies in their personal records and that it was an urgent matter. I found it unsettling that the FIC site had placed a notice on their site in 2007 and here it is 2008 and companies are still offering such services through massive mailings and still sighting the FIC site as recommending it.

Most States have a Register of Deeds office, County Clerk's office or Land Records office for the recording of land records. This is the office to contact in the State of Kansas concerning acquiring certified copies of land deed records. The land deed proves ownership of your home as well as the land it sits on. If you can afford the service offered and do not have the time it may take to contact the proper office with your request then by all means pay someone to do it. But, if you are like myself and cannot afford the extra expense in today's economy, then take the time to place the calls and find out for yourself what the fees would be and if the certified copy is even necessary. Many homeowners may find they have the original deed or a certified copy already in their possession. If you find you do not, don't panic, your deed should have been made of record at the time you purchased your home. Take the time to do a bit of research before you pull out your checkbook and pay someone $69.95 for something you may have been able to acquire for much, much less.

As consumers we must be aware of all facts before acting on any solicitations or offers received through the mail concerning our homes and personal property. By contacting Federal, State or County Agencies we can empower ourselves with knowledge and eliminate the profitability of such services being offered. Phone numbers for these agencies can be found in your local phonebooks or on your States website.

Resources:

http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cfocus/cfhouseholdrecords03/focus.htm

http://nationaldeed.com/