Rob's Rant

So I have this client whom I helped purchase his retirement home in Arizona earlier this year.  My client is a Viet Nam Veteran, and a recipient of both the Purple Heart and the Silver Star.  (He doesn't like to brag about these things so I do it for him.  I'm proud to know him.)

This particular client sent me an email Friday asking about obtaining a copy of his Deed.  He mentioned that he received a letter from a "National Deed Service" who would obtain a copy for him and provide it to him--for a $49.50 fee.

YIKES!  After spending about 5 minutes on the County Website, I was able to download and forward a copy of the gentleman's Deed to him, at no charge.  That's right--no charge.

In Arizona, the Deed is a matter of public record.  (In fact, our County sells the names on Deeds as an additional revenue source--which is my guess as to where this phony company obtained my Client's info).

You already have a copy of your Deed that was mailed to you by your County Recorder when you purchased your home.  If you need another copy, you can easily obtain one by going online to your County Recorder website.  Depending on the County, there may or may not be a charge for that.  HOWEVER THERE IS NO REASON TO PAY THESE THIEVES TO DO IT FOR YOU.  It is very easy to find.

If you live in Maricopa County, here is the website to find all public records:

http://recorder.maricopa.gov/recdocdata/

If you live elsewhere, just Google "[County name] County Recorder".  It seems like they are almost all online nowadays.  Follow the links, they are generally pretty user-friendly.

You can enter your own name and get copies of any document that has been Recorded there.

If you can't tell, this experience makes me VERY ANGRY.  I HATE it when people take advantage of others because they are perceived to be easy targets, for example Veterans and Retired people.  GRRR.  I think I will encourage my Client to contact the Arizona Attorney General.

If you haven't done so already, please click SUBSCRIBE below.  I always try to talk about topics that are timely and informative.