Eagle County offers free recording notification service to deter property fraud

Eagle County recently issued the following press release on the Eagle County Clerk and Recorder’s free Recording Notification Service:

To alert residents to potential property fraud, the Office of the Eagle County Clerk and Recorder reminds property owners that it offers a free Recording Notification Service that will send an email alert to residents when a document, such as a deed or power of attorney, is recorded using a monitored name. With this service, residents can request the monitoring of up to five different names per registered email address. Thus far, nearly 480 residents have taken advantage of this free service, which has been available since March 2020.

The names registered must match the name (Grantor/Grantee) on the document recorded into public record (e.g. the exact name of the property owner, trust, LLC, etc.). When a document is recorded into the public records using a monitored name, a notice will be sent to the email address under which it was registered.

“This service does not prevent a potentially fraudulent document from being recorded,” said Clerk and Recorder Regina O’Brien. “However, it does provide notification that will assist a property owner in taking immediate action. This early warning system is preferable to belatedly discovering fraud months or years later.”

Real Estate Scams and Fraud are becoming more prevalent.  Some properties in Eagle County have been illegally advertised for sale on real estate apps by individuals other than the rightful owners. Scammers use various online real estate marketplace companies and pose as legitimate landlords or property owners. Often the scam involves a request for deposits via wire transfer, money transfer apps, or even gift cards.

Please report any fraudulent activities to the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office at 970-328-8500 or email info@sheriff.eagle.co.us.