Charging $83 for a $5 deed is not a good deal, and in Madison County Clerk Denise Roe’s eyes, it looks more like a scam.
According to Roe, Madison County residents are again receiving “Recorded Deed Notices” from a company stating that you need a copy of your deed and offering the document for $83. Most property owners already have their original deed tucked away in their files or in a safety deposit box. If not, most deeds are available for less than $5 at the county clerk’s office. Certified copies are usually $10 or less.
There is also a new twist to the offering — that it will give people assessment information; but that information is available at the local assessor’s office.
If someone really needs a copy of their deed, it can be obtained faster, cheaper and easier from the county clerk’s office, Roe said. In many counties, including Madison, residents can even print out a simple uncertified copy online. “That’s why you have a clerk’s office — to retain all these records for you,” she said.
For more information, contact the Madison County Clerk’s Office at 138 N Court Street, PO Box 668, Wampsville; 366-2261; madisoncounty.ny.gov/county-clerk/madison-county-clerk.
