Nassau County Clerk Maureen O’Connell is cautioning homeowners about a new type of solicitation that has recently targeted Nassau County. These mailings are coming from “Property Profile, Inc.” who are recommending that all homeowners purchase a “Property Assessment Profile,” which “…provides a wealth of information on the property that can be used to verify property information is recorded correctly…” and also “…includes a complimentary copy of your current grant deed or other record of title.”
The solicitations contain publicly available property information which can often mislead homeowners to believe that they are from an official governmental agency and that it is imperative the recipient acts on it quickly.
Concerned by these deceptive practices, O’Connell wants homeowners to remember that all deeds for property located in Nassau County are recorded and maintained at the county clerk’s office and only the clerk’s office can issue certified copies of these records. However, these types of private companies continue to solicit homeowners to purchase a deed on their behalf, sometimes for more than 1,000 percent over the county clerk’s fees. To better inform consumers and protect them, O’Connell successfully advocated for state legislation that requires these types of solicitations to disclose that they are not affiliated with the county. Nevertheless, many homeowners continue to be impacted by these types of misleading services.
O’Connell reminds residents it is not necessary to retain a service such as this to get a copy of your deed. Certified copies of deeds can always be obtained from the county clerk’s office for $5 to $10. She also recommends that Nassau residents protect themselves against fraudulent property record filings by registering with the “Property Fraud Alert Service” at www.nassaucountyny.gov/clerk/PFA. Anyone interested in additional information can contact O’Connell’s office at 516-571-2660.
—Nassau County
