Bryan Oglesby with Better Business Bureau. Credit: WINK News.
There is a letter going around in the mail that is telling people to send money to get a copy of the deed to your home.
When you check the mail, there could be an envelope that looks like it’s from the records office in Tallahassee.
It turns out what is inside could leave your bank account drained. Investigators say it’s nothing more than a misleading mailer costing you cash.
Buying a home means a lot of paperwork: “Sign here, and then, sign there. Pay this charge, and then, pay that charge.”
You will hear that a lot, as you get ready to close on your house, and plenty of mail shows up as well.
There is one letter going around saying, “Send $95 to get a copy of your deed.”
A company in Tampa called “County Records Office” is sending them out.
It looks official.
But Bryan Oglesby of the Better Business Bureau says paying this charge is not needed.
“This is something you can do yourself online through your local county records office,” Oglesby said. “Consumers do complain to the BBB about receiving these official looking flyers and letters in the mail, and if they are not paying attention, they’re not reading the fine print, then, they may believe it’s from a government agency, and they feel they are required to pay that fee.”
County records is not the only company doing this in Florida.
It turns out, in most cases, you can get an official copy of your deed for just a few dollars, so there is no reason to pay this charge.
If you get one of these letters, report it to the Better Business Bureau.
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