Free New Cook County Recorder of Deeds Property Fraud Alert System

The Office of the Cook County Recorder of Deeds has recently launched a new initiative aimed at helping homeowners discover and combat property and recording fraud.  Fraudsters filing forged documents (say that 5 times fast) against a homeowner’s property has become a white-collar crime of choice.  In many instances, the homeowner might not learn of the fraud for many years until after serious damage has been done, possibly not until after a homeowner’s death.  Most of us don’t check our property for filings on a regular basis.

In an effort to alert homeowners in a timely fashion, the Cook County Recorder of Deeds now allows you to sign up to receive an automated e-mail or phone call that will alert you each time a document (e.g. deed conveyance, mortgage, etc.) is recorded that effects the title of your property.  You can register to be alerted not only for your own properties, but also for properties of relatives (or estates or trusts) that you might want to monitor for their protection.

I’ve signed up.  I think it’s a great idea.