(Mineola, NY) Nassau County Clerk Maureen O’Connell is cautioning homeowners about a new type of solicitation that recently targeted the Levittown community. These mailings are coming from “Property Transfer Services” and recommend “… all NY homeowners obtain a copy of their current Grant Deed”. They go on to offer a “Property Profile” which “…provides a wealth of information useful to understanding a subject property’s makeup”. The solicitations contain publicly available property information which often times 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, private companies such as this continue to solicit to purchase a deed on behalf of the homeowner, sometimes for more than 1000% over the Clerk’s Office fees. In an effort 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. Anyone interested in additional information or wishing to request a certified copy of their deed can contact Clerk O’Connell’s office at 516-571-2664.