Fraudulent Property Transfers

Dr. Craig Adams, a Raleigh, North Carolina dentist, recently listed his personal residence for sale. Shortly thereafter, he was notifi ed that someone had filed a fraudulent deed, attempting to gain ownership and possession of his property.

Unfortunately, these real estate title “pirates” are becoming more common, creating problems that are difficult to detect and expensive to correct. Under most state laws, the Register of Deeds office who records the property transfer has no accountability, as it’s not required to determine if the deed is legal before recording, or even if the Notary Public certifying that the legal owner has signed the deed is legitimate.