(Mineola, NY) Nassau County Clerk Maureen O’Connell is cautioning homeowners about a new type of solicitation that has recently targeted Nassau County. These mailings are coming from “Property Profile, Inc.” who are recommending that all homeowners purchase a “Property Assessment Profile” which “…provides a wealth of information on the property that can be used to verify property information is recorded correctly…” and also “…includes a complimentary copy of your current Grant Deed or other record of title.” The solicitations contain publicly available property information which can often mislead homeowners to believe that they are from an official governmental agency and that it is imperative the recipient acts on it quickly.
Concerned by these deceptive practices, County Clerk O’Connell wants homeowners to
remember that all deeds for property located in Nassau County are recorded and
maintained at the County Clerk’s Office and only the Clerk’s Office can issue certified
copies of these records. However, these types of private companies continue to solicit
homeowners to purchase a deed on their behalf, sometimes for more than 1000% over the County
Clerk’s fees. To better inform consumers and protect them, County Clerk O’Connell
successfully advocated for state legislation that requires these types of solicitations to
disclose that they are not affiliated with the county. Nevertheless, many homeowners continue to
be impacted by these types of misleading services.
County Clerk O’Connell reminds residents it is not necessary to retain a service such as this to
get a copy of your deed. Certified copies of deeds can always be obtained from the County Clerk’s
Office for $5 to $10. The County Clerk also recommends that Nassau residents protect themselves
against fraudulent property record filings by registering with the County Clerk’s “Property Fraud
Alert Service” at www.nassaucountyny.gov/clerk/PFA. Anyone interested in additional
information can contact Clerk O’Connell’s office at 516-571-2660.