CARTERET COUNTY, NC – Carteret County now has a Recording Notification Service (RNS) that notifies county property owners when a real estate document has been recorded in their name with the Register of Deeds Office.
Members of the public can sign up for the service on the Register of Deeds website. Once registered, the subscriber will receive an email alert notification each time a document has been recorded in their name in the Register of Deeds Office. This email will give the recording time and date, instrument number, and book and page. The public can then go to the public access link, http://deeds.carteretcounty.com/, where they will be able to search the instrument number or book and page to see the image of the recorded document. This will allow them to see if this is a fraudulent recording.
“Today’s scammers are constantly getting more creative filing documents, claiming property, and attempting to file fraudulent property liens,” said Carteret County Register of Deeds Karen Hardesty. “Many jurisdictions across the country have reported unscrupulous individuals recording fraudulent land documents making it appear they own another person’s home or property. Fortunately, we have not seen this type of crime take place in Carteret County and the Register of Deeds Office is out front actively protecting our constituents.”
The Carteret County Register of Deeds collaborated with Carteret County to offer the much-anticipated service to our property owners across the county. Subscribers may set up alerts by name or business name, and may register up to 10 names per email address. The service will allow subscribers to respond in real-time when documents are recorded that require immediate attention. The RNS can also be used as a monitoring mechanism to keep track of the filings of legitimate documents such as a property closing or a refinance, or even when homeowners finish paying off their mortgages.
If you determine the recording is something you expected and is a legitimate recording, the property owner does not need to do anything. However, if the property owner determines the recording is fraudulent and was not authorized or signed by the property owner, they can call their local law enforcement agency for assistance so the property owner can investigate the recording further and take legal action if necessary.
“In today’s world where technology is ever evolving, it is imperative that the RNS be added to our menu of offerings. Your home may be the most significant investment you ever make, and you deserve the peace of mind knowing that your property is protected from fraud,” Hardesty added.
This service does not give the Register of Deeds office the authority to remove any document that has been recorded, but rather is to make the public aware.
To sign up for the alerts, go to https://www.carteretcountync.gov/162/Register-of-Deeds, click Recording Notification Service.
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