Preventing Deed/Title Fraud
- Blighted and abandoned properties are the main targets for deed/title fraud
- It’s a rare occurrence due to title insurance and mortgage lenders being active in the process of property transfers. Most lenders and lawyers, in addition to deeds and titles being recorded reduce the likelihood of fraud.
- This occurs mostly in urban areas due to the convenience of finding such properties.
- With the growth of Centre County, this is something that we need to put measures in place to prevent potential fraud.
- We need to actively address blighted properties with coordination between various stakeholders (Centre County Housing Authority, Habitat For Humanity, municipalities, and others) and create better alternatives to address blight.
- We need to emphasize and proactively highlight the RAIN (Recording Activity Information Notification) service. This is a free service currently available at the Recorder of Deeds office. RAIN permits individuals to be emailed when there is a search on a name or business but they must sign up and activate their account. We must offer outreach and prioritize the people to help them protect their property.