Property title fraud: should you pay for monitoring?

Last year, my client Doug was searching for a piece of land where he could build a family home. We arrived at a new vacant land listing in Woodinville and started walking the property. Pretty quickly, we had a few questions about the lot boundary, so I called the listing agent.

His response caught me off guard.

He said, “I’m so sorry, but the lot is not for sale, and we’re removing the for-sale sign.” He had just discovered that someone had fraudulently claimed to be the owner and asked him to list the property.

It was a reminder that real estate fraud is not just a headline or something that happens somewhere else. It can show up locally, unexpectedly, and in ways that create real confusion and risk.

That naturally raises a good question for homeowners: Should you pay for a property title monitoring service you hear advertised on TV or radio?

For most property owners in King and Snohomish Counties, the answer is probably no, not as a first step.

Both counties offer free recorded-document alert programs, and both counties also provide online recorded-document search tools where owners can look up documents such as deeds, mortgages, and liens.

Many of the paid services advertised on TV or radio are presented as though they can “lock” your title. In reality, monitoring services are mainly designed to alert you after a document has been recorded, not prevent someone from attempting a fraudulent filing in the first place. That is why the free county tools are a smart place to begin.

Here are the official county links:

King County Sign up for free fraud alerts: https://recordsearch.kingcounty.gov/LandmarkWebInternal/FraudAlert

Search recorded property records, including liens: https://recordsearch.kingcounty.gov/LandmarkWeb/search/index

Snohomish County Sign up for free fraud alerts: https://snohomishcountywa.gov/6335/Recorded-Document-Notification-System

Search recorded property records, including liens: https://snohomishcountywa.gov/1983/Recorded-Documents-Search

So before paying for a private monitoring service, I would suggest starting here:

• Sign up for your county’s free property recording alerts

• Register your name, common name variations, and parcel number

• Periodically search your property records to make sure you do not see unfamiliar documents or liens

• Keep an eye on your mail, tax notices, and credit activity

• Respond quickly if you receive an alert tied to a document you do not recognize

  
  

A paid service may still appeal to some owners, especially if they own multiple properties, vacant land, or property they do not check on often. But for the average homeowner, the county alert system plus occasional record checks are usually the best first move.

Bottom line: Property fraud is real, and it does happen here. But before spending money on a monitoring service you heard about on TV or radio, make sure you are taking advantage of the free tools already available in King and Snohomish Counties. In many cases, that may be all the monitoring you need.