By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
Racine County Register of Deeds Tyson Fettes doesn’t want residents scammed.
To that point, he testified Jan. 15 at a senate committee hearing on Senate Bill 469, designed to limit the damage on ongoing scam involving property deeds can cause.
The scam involves companies sending letters to customers – letters that look and feel like official government documents – that then urge the purchasing of a copy of a deed.
Deeds from those companies often cost about $80. A copy of the deed can be purchased at the local Register of Deeds office for about $5.
While the service isn’t illegal, it certainly is questionable.
Fettes testified at the hearing, saying it is “concerning” that companies are taking advantage of people.
“They should not have to pay 15 times what we charge in the office for a copy of the deed to the property,” he said.
The bill, if passed, would limit the amount a company can charge to just four times what the deed costs, and also require companies to notify the Register of Deeds office before the letters are sent out.
“This law would limit and/or eliminate the scamming that has been occurring recently,” Fettes said at the hearing.
For more information on the situation, contact the Register of Deeds office at (262) 636-3208.
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