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Contact: Jennifer Lockrey, 614-525-7315
Franklin County Creates Deed Fraud Strike Force
COLUMBUS, Ohio – With instances of title fraud on the rise nationwide, a report issued Thursday by Franklin County officials recommended working collaboratively to enhance existing protections and supporting new legislation to combat fraud in the property transfer process.
The report is the result of a Deed/Title Fraud Strike Force that was created earlier this year by the Franklin County Auditor, County Recorder, County Treasurer, County Commissioners, and the County Prosecuting Attorney. The Strike Force met three times before issuing its report.
While title fraud is rare in Franklin County, the report sought to be proactive and recommend ways to enhance protections to prevent fraud before it becomes a problem in the county.
“The Auditor’s office will continue to work closely with our county partners and advocate for legislation that will ensure our processes are efficient and secure. Before it even becomes an issue, we will make sure Franklin County residents are protected from the real problem of title fraud,” Auditor Stinziano said.
The report recommends supporting legislation that would give more authority to the Auditor’s office to reject materially false or fraudulent documents, and the authority for the Recorder and Auditor to require photo identification for certain transfer and conveyance transactions. It also recommends ensuring the transfer process, once begun, is completed, and finding ways to work with Franklin County courts to expedite returning properties involved in fraudulent transfers to their rightful owners.
“I look forward to continuing to work with the Deed Strike Force to find new ways to protect Franklin County homeowners from fraud,” said Recorder Danny O’Connor. “I also encourage everyone to check out the current resources and educational pieces each county agency has available. Property Alert and Fraud Sleuth are tools posted on the Recorder’s website to setup immediate alerts when documents are recorded under a homeowner’s name.”
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