Title Alert is a free service provided by the Alachua County Property Appraiser’s Office that allows residents to monitor changes in property ownership. Once registered, subscribers will receive automated notifications if there are any ownership changes on the property they’re monitoring.
This service is available to everyone, not just property owners, and can help detect potential fraudulent property transactions. Notifications can be received via phone, text, email, or postal mail. Registration is simple—just provide the Prop ID number of the property you want to monitor and a contact method. The system continuously monitors for ownership updates and will notify you immediately if a change occurs.
We are happy to inform you that if you were already enrolled in the Property Watch service, you do not need to take any further action. Title Alert is the updated version of the Property Watch service, and all current Property Watch subscribers have been automatically enrolled in Title Alert.
FAQ’s
What is Title/ Deed fraud?
Deed fraud, also known as property or title fraud, happens when someone illegally transfers the title of your property without your knowledge or consent. This fraudulent transfer can lead to significant financial losses and legal complications for the victim.
Here’s how it typically works:
- Identity Theft: The fraudster steals your personal information, such as Social Security number, address, and other sensitive details.
- Forgery: Using the stolen information, they create forged documents that appear legitimate, including a fake deed or title.
- Filing the Fraudulent Deed: The forged deed is then filed with the local land records office, making it look like the property has been legally transferred.
- Selling the Property: The fraudster may attempt to sell the property or take out loans against it, leaving the original owner with the debt or loss.
Title Alert will inform you if any title changes have been made, legally or fraudulently. If you believe you’re a victim of deed fraud, it’s important to contact local authorities and seek legal assistance to resolve the matter.
The non-emergency Alachua County Sheriff’s Office phone number is 352-955-1818.
What are the notification methods for Title Alert?
Registrants can select to be notified by phone call, text message, email, or postal mail.
Please note that if postal mail is selected as the preferred notification method, these notifications will be delayed as they are not suitable for automatic updates. Additionally, if postal mail is selected, the mailing address on file for the parcel ID provided will be the address the mailed notification will be sent to.
What should I do if I get an alert from Title Alert?
- If the property owner initiates the ownership change, no further action is needed.
- If the change was not initiated by the owner, they should contact the Property Appraiser’s Office immediately.
- If a fraudulent deed is suspected, report it to local law enforcement. The non-emergency Alachua County Sheriff’s Office phone number is 352-955-1818.
How much of an issue title fraud really is in Alachua County?
While title fraud is more commonly a concern for larger areas such as South Florida, we want to take a proactive approach in Alachua County. Currently, we haven’t seen a significant number of cases here, but we are implementing the Title Alert service to help protect residents by monitoring property ownership changes and notifying you of any unauthorized changes.
By signing up for Title Alert, you can stay informed and have an added layer of security to prevent fraud from becoming a problem in our community
What to do if you are enrolled in Property Watch?
We are happy to inform you that if you were already enrolled in the Property Watch service, you do not need to take any further action. Title Alert is the updated version of the Property Watch service, and all current Property Watch subscribers have been automatically enrolled in Title Alert.
Your settings from Property Watch, such as receiving notifications via email and/or text, will carry over to the new system. You will continue to receive timely notifications about any changes in property ownership for the properties you are monitoring.
Why was Property Watch replaced by Title Alert
Property Watch was designed to alert for items other than Deed/ Title change. In doing so, we required that only the property owners be available to be alerted to these changes. Because of the security requirements, properties in Heirs, probate, or being looked after by non-owners could not sign up for notifications for deed fraud. Our office felt that the core of Property Watch was to protect Alachua County properties from deed fraud, and not having all properties being looked after due to these issues, we needed a change. Title Alert streamlines the sign-up process and allows anyone to get alerts on properties.
Our office is always looking for better ways to provide the best service, so we are looking into how to inform property owners of services that were dropped with the change from Property Watch to Title Alert.
Is Title Alert ran by a third party?
Title Alert is developed internally and run by the Alachua County Property Appraiser’s office.
What information do I need to sign up?
You will need the parcel’s Prop ID that you’d like to get notifications. You can find the Prop ID from our Real Property Search Website.
You will search for the Parcel by “Owner’s name,” “Location Address,” or “Parcel Number.” Once you have the correct parcel you will find the Prop ID in the second row of the “Parcel Summary” section. This will be a 5 or 6 digit number.
How do I register if I have a confidential parcel?
Those who reside on a confidential parcel must be verified in person in order to register for this service.
Terms and Conditions:
The Alachua County Property Appraiser’s Office (ACPA) provides property data for tax purposes but does not guarantee its accuracy. Official printed documents take precedence. This is not a substitute for a title search. Ownership records come from the Clerk of Court’s Office. ACPA cannot verify deed validity or settle ownership disputes. Suspected fraud should be reported to law enforcement.