Worried about fraud? Here’s how to check who holds the title to your SLO County property
In May, the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office warned that real estate scams were on the rise — especially for vacant land.
Now, folks are scrambling to check their property title to ensure that they are listed as the legal owner, according to a news release from the San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder’s Office.
The county released a video that explains how to look up a property title on the San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder’s Recorded Document Portal.
Here’s a step-by-step explanation of how to check your property title:
- Visit SloVote.com.
- In the middle of the page, click on the book icon labeled “begin your recorded document search.” This leads to a portal for recorded documents.
- Click the button at the top of the web page that says “name search.”
- Enter the property owner’s name and click “search.” Be as specific as possible.
- The search results will display in a list. Find the entry that says “deed” followed by a statement in parenthesis.
- Click on the document, and check the names listed for “grantee.” Those people are considered the property title holders.
“What you’re looking for is an accurate listing of the grantor, who relinquished the title, and the grantee, whoever took possession of it,” the speaker in the video said.
Folks can purchase a copy of any document dating back to Aug. 8, 2001, by adding it to their shopping cart on the website. Earlier documents can be bought through the Clerk-Recorder’s Office.
“Unfortunately, there is no way to lock or freeze your title,” the video speaker said. “While fraud is relatively rare, the best precaution you can take is to check your title regularly, and reach out if you see something that doesn’t look right.”
