WASHINGTON CO. CLERK REMINDS PROPERTY OWNERS OF FREE FRAUD ALERT PROGRAM

  

The Washington County Clerk’s Office invites local property owners to sign up for a free program that can notify them of possible property fraud.

County Clerk Beth Rothermel says 322 people to date have signed up for the service, which is offered through a partnership between the county and Edoc Technologies.  The program notifies users within 24 hours of when a deed, mortgage, lien or other land record with their registered name on it is recorded into the county’s official public records.

Rothermel says the service is meant to reduce the possibility of documents being falsely recorded and inform residents right away if fraud does occur.

 

While Rothermel says property theft involves quite a lot of time and effort that criminals are often not keen on spending, the threat still exists, and it is important to take steps to prevent it from happening.

 

Users can register their name or names, and will be asked to provide an email address or cell phone number for contact.  To maximize the system’s ability to catch documents submitted, they are encouraged to use all variations of their name.

Both individuals and businesses are able to sign up.  The registration is only for Washington County; people with properties in multiple counties can check with outside county clerks to see if there is a fraud alert program available for that county.

To register for the program, visit the county’s website, www.co.washington.tx.us.  A direct link is available here.