{"id":6723,"date":"2025-08-08T14:20:44","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T18:20:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/?p=6723"},"modified":"2025-08-08T14:20:46","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T18:20:46","slug":"locking-your-home-title-read-this-first","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/locking-your-home-title-read-this-first\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cLocking\u201d Your Home Title? Read This First."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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You might have seen ads urging you to get services that \u201clock\u201d your title against deed theft<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, is deed theft really a thing? Next, if it is, do \u201ctitle lock\u201d companies really prevent it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, and no. Let\u2019s break this down, Q&A-style. Then, we\u2019ll offer some important but simple tips to keep tabs on your homeownership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the Chance of Anyone Stealing My Deed?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Low, but more than zero.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The past president of the Pennsylvania Recorder of Deeds Association this year said deed theft is rare<\/a>. Yet the Texas Senate<\/a> is concerned enough to try to heighten penalties for deed manipulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It nearly happened to Elvis Presley\u2019s Graceland<\/a>. (The FBI had to step in.) It can happen to ordinary deed holders, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any deed can be targeted. But you\u2019re more likely at risk if you\u2019ve left a property unattended, or if you\u2019re a senior with a paid-off mortgage. These factors can let your home slip under the radar and make it more attractive to bad actors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some counties\u2014including Hancock County, Indiana\u2014partner with Equity Protect, offering free reports that show a property\u2019s risk level (low to high). Equity Protect also offers a paid service that records a lien-like notice designed to require the homeowner to remove it before any new deed activity can be recorded. However, this is not a legal title ‘lock,’ and its effectiveness or enforceability may vary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking a loan out against your property to keep it safe from fraud? First, read <\/strong><\/em>this article on liens and deed theft<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Does a Deed Thief Operate?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Swindlers exploit a homeowner\u2019s public records and personal information. They pretend to be legitimate deed transferors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once they transfer a deed to one of their companies, they can transfer it again to an innocent third-party buyer. Once the deed is transferred again, the swindlers have distanced themselves from the faulty deed. This creates a mess for the rightful owner and <\/em>any innocent parties caught up in the scam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bad actors falsify notarizations, too. Some even recruit notaries willing to take part in these schemes. Then they exploit recording offices. Most deed recording offices aren\u2019t authorized to run background checks on people who submit deeds for recording. That said, some counties are now empowering recorders to verify information when someone presents a deed to them. Yours could be one of those counties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a false deed does get recorded, the deed thief might rent out the home (if you\u2019ve left it unattended). Or the swindlers might get their hands on your equity, or resell your home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The possibilities for lasting harm are real. Deed fraud puts the rightful homeowner in a jam. A court case to get a title back costs thousands of dollars and can take many months to slog through. Meanwhile, the true owner can\u2019t borrow against the home or transfer the deed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some deeds can be quickly returned to their rightful owners \u2014 particularly when the manipulation is caught promptly. Other cases require <\/strong><\/em>quiet title actions<\/em><\/strong><\/a> in court.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Company Called Home Title Lock Says It \u201cLocks\u201d Out Deed Thieves. True?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Despite the name, titles cannot actually be \u2018locked.\u2019 Home Title Lock provides a monitoring and alert service. It also claims to support customers with legal needs if issues arise. Other subscription companies use words like \u201cprotect\u201d or \u201cguard\u201d or \u201cshield\u201d in their brand names. They overstate the protection they can give a deed holder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These companies send messages whenever they note a deed transfer, a new loan or lender, a default status, or new property in their customers\u2019 names. But they cannot \u201clock\u201d anything. Home Title Lock admits as much. The company claims to support customers when they need an attorney \u2014 whatever that may mean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And alerts are likely available for free from your county recorder of deeds. These days, hundreds of county clerk\u2019s offices from coast to coast provide fraud alerts that notify deedholders when changes are made to their documents. Just look up your city or county deed recorder\u2019s office, and type your home address into the online system. You\u2019ll get an email saying you\u2019re in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can set up an alert with your senior parents or friends for their addresses too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If county alerts are unavailable, enter your address as a search alert on your computer, and regularly scan the major real estate sites to check that your home isn\u2019t described as listed for sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nothing we\u2019re describing here has anything to do with a \u201clock.\u201d But it does keep you informed about the status of your ownership, so you can act fast if anything changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can I Skip the \u201cLock\u201d Subscription and Protect Myself for Free?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yes. We\u2019ve talked about setting up alerts with your county above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if you want to protect yourself against impersonation (a common practice of deed thieves), you can check out some reviews of companies here<\/a>. (Deeds.com<\/em> does not make any endorsements; nor are we affiliated with any of the companies listed.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there are still other ways to look out for your identity and your deed. To know when something\u2019s amiss, adopt these (free!) habits, starting today:<\/p>\n\n\n\n