Property Records Solicitation Alert

Homeowners in Medina and surrounding counties are receiving mail solicitations offering to provide landowners with “a property profile” and an additional copy of the property owner’s deed for a fee, usually $75 to $100. What many homeowners do not realize is this information is available for free on the County Auditor or Fiscal Agent’s website in the county in which they live. By researching online at no cost, the property owner by using their name or street address can find the same information this solicitation seeks to provide, that is the owner’s property address, owner’s name, comparable values, legal description or parcel identification number, property history, and recorded deeds.

While this is not technically a “scam,” this solicitation seeks to have you pay for information that is readily available to you for free. Many property owners do not realize this despite disclaimers on the mailing that the service “is not associate with any governmental agency” and despite a representation in the solicitation advising that the property owner “can obtain a copy of your deed or other record of your title from the county recorder in the county where your property is located.”

The mailers are very official looking and in format mimic many tax bills or auditor website pages lending to the confusion for many homeowners. Please know, however, these are solicitations and you are under no obligation to pay the amount stated unless you accept the offer and choose to do so.