Treasurer: Watch for deed scam

Although none have shown up in Franklin County, McCay said some Kansas homeowners have received letters from a company offering to provide copies of certified deeds. McCay says it appears to be a scam.

So far, the letters from a company called the National Deed Service appear to have targeted first-time homeowners who recently closed on their new houses in some of the larger countes in Kansas, she said.

Those letters have been turned over to consumer protection agencies, she said.

In lurid terms, the letters importune homeowners to get the copies of their deeds — without it they’re in dire peril and how difficult it is to get the copies, and all for the low cost of $69.50.

The company’s Web site, surmounted with the American flag, tells pretty much the same tale.

“The U.S. Government Federal Citizen Information Center recommends that property owners keep a certified copy of their deed in their safety deposit box,” the Web site solemnly intones.

“It looks like a scam,” McCay said. “They’re either trying to separate you from $69.50 or trying to get your credit card numbers.”

Whenever real estate is sold, the new owner gets the original deed and there’s no need to get a certified copy, she said.

About the only time a property owner would need to get a certified copy of their deed is if it were lost or destroyed, she said.

To get a certified copy, property owners merely need to swing by McCay’s office at the courthouse.

By the way, McCay said her office can provide a copy of a certified deed for $1 a page. Normally, deeds are one or two pages, she said.

If you get one of the letters, McCay would like you to give her a call at (785) 229-3440.