Georgia Property Records

Georgia property records document real estate ownership and transfers, mortgages, tax assessments, and several other property- and land-related transactions across the Peach State. They are public records created and maintained at the county and municipal levels.

The major local offices responsible for property records in Georgia include the Clerk of the Superior Court, the County Tax Commissioner, and the County Assessor's Office. The Georgia Superior Court Clerk's Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA) also manages a statewide database that allows access to certain types of property documents from all counties. However, this does not mean that Georgia centralizes property records at the state level, as all 159 counties maintain real estate records locally.

Various individuals, entities, and professionals rely on Georgia property records for different purposes. These include attorneys, homeowners, title companies, developers, realtors, real estate investors, lenders, and property inspectors. You can conduct most of your property record searches through county offices or online repositories. However, the availability of online access can vary. While smaller counties may require in-person or mail-in requests, larger counties typically provide online property search resources.

What Are Property Records?

Property records are formal records that document legal rights and financial interests in real estate. In Georgia, they are maintained at the county level and largely categorized into two categories: legal property documents and informational property records.

Property ownership and enforceable interests in any real estate are established by legal documents. These documents create a public chain of title, recording how ownership has transferred over time. Such documents include deeds, easements, mortgage and security deeds, court judgments affecting property, and lien filings. In Georgia, they are primarily recorded with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where a property is situated.

Informational property records do not establish ownership. Instead, they provide other essential details about real property, such as parcel maps, building permits, property assessments, zoning classifications, GIS data, and assessed values. Maintained by the Tax Commissioner or the County Assessor, the majority of these records are used to calculate property taxes and support lending decisions in Georgia.

You will typically find Georgia property records in both historical and modern formats, depending on when they are created and recorded. While some counties have digitized historical records dating back to the 1800s, many older land records may be stored in county archives, bound volumes, microfilm, and archives. However, most current real property records in the state are recorded electronically, and you can access them through searchable online portals.

Purpose of Georgia Property Records

• County tax assessors evaluate properties each year to determine assessed values for taxation. Records generated from property assessments are used to track value over time.

• Municipal governments rely on property records to calculate tax bills, apply exemptions, and enforce delinquent tax collections.

• Deeds recorded after selling, gifting, or inheriting real properties primarily transfer ownership. This ultimately provides public notices of ownership change.

• Before approving financing or issuing title insurance, attorneys, lenders, and title companies review recorded property documents to confirm legitimate ownership and find out whether there are any liens or encumbrances.

Government Sources

Depending on the type of record you intend to find, the following local government agencies or offices are primarily responsible for property-related documents and information in Georgia:

• Clerk of Superior Court - Each county in the state has a Clerk of the Superior Court that doubles as the central custodian of official property records. They maintain deeds, plats, mortgages, liens, and several other legal property documents related to real estate.

• Tax Commissioner/Tax Assessor Offices - All other property documents that are not legal title documents are kept by the County Tax Assessor or Tax Commissioner Office. Such documents are usually valuable sources of assessed values and parcel data.

Many older Georgia property documents recorded before widespread digital systems are preserved in microfilm, bound volumes, archived books, and county archives. Such records can be viewed on-site in some counties. However, you can search recent recorded land documents online and view scanned images because most new property documents are now recorded and indexed electronically.

Online Access

Most counties in the state provide property records resources that allow individuals and professionals to conduct Georgia property record searches online. Depending on the agency, you will typically be able to access deed records, parcel maps, ownership information, lien details, and property tax assessments. Regardless of the document you intend to find and the office responsible for it, the process will largely follow these steps:

• Identify the county or local agency in the custody of the document.

• Visit the county's official government website and navigate to the tax assessor or clerk of the superior court's page. Afterward, look for the record search tool for the appropriate agency.

• Enter the search criterion in the available field and click on the submit or search button. In most cases, you can search by owner's name, property address, or parcel name, if known.

• Click on the search result to view the sought property records.

Here are some counties in Georgia with large property records databases and links to where you can access recorded property documents:

• Fulton County - Clerk of Superior Court Property Records Search

• Gwinnett County - Clerk of Superior Court Property Records Search

• Glynn County - Clerk of Superior Court Property Records Search, Tax Commissioner's Property Record Search, Real Property Search

While individual counties in the Peach State offer their property record search systems, you can begin a property records search online through the Georgia Superior Court Clerk's Cooperative Authority's (GSCCCA) Real Estate Index. The Real Estate Index allows users to search recorded deeds, plat indexes, and lien indexes by owner name, instrument type, property address, or book/page reference. It is especially useful if you do not know the county where the record you require is maintained.

The Georgia Archives Virtual Vault has a catalog of historical government records that may include historic plats and deed books, which you may not find fully digitized in county portals or the GSCCCA.

In-Person Access

To access Georgia property records in person, users must first identify which county holds the documents. Once identified, determine the appropriate office responsible for that record, visit their website, and pull up their contact information and physical address. Individuals may contact the local office to know whether an appointment is required to inspect property-related records or obtain copies in person.

Visiting the relevant local office in person is your best bet to access property records if you are looking to find older records, obtain certified copies of records, or need large bundles of land documents.

Here are links to the directories of the major property records custodians in Georgia to help you identify the appropriate local agencies:

• Superior Court Clerks of Georgia

• County Assessors'/Tax Commissioners' Offices

Commercial Sources

Some commercial record services aggregate real property records into search-friendly online platforms that enable users to access details of recorded property documents in Georgia and across the United States. For example, with such platforms, you can look up property details, mortgage records, building permit records, deeds, tax data, ownership records, and much more quickly and conveniently.

Looking up Georgia property records online through commercial sources has several advantages over county government sources. For instance, instead of navigating individual websites for each local agency, commercial property data services allow you to look up records across multiple county and state government offices, as well as nationwide. Similarly, most commercial portals offer unlimited searches for paid subscriptions that allow users to run multiple queries and do bulk exports without manual county searches.

Additionally, consolidated reports generated by commercial property data services usually include extended data points that you may not find through government sources. Most commercial databases are searchable by address, owner's name, and parcel ID. You may also look up records with phone numbers, zip codes, and email addresses, options you may not typically use when searching the Clerk of the Superior Court or County Tax Assessor's portals.

What Information Can You Find in Georgia Property Records?

You will find a broad range of information in a typical Georgia property record, the majority of which relates to legal, structural, and financial details. While the exact details may vary by county, here are pieces of information you will generally find in a property record:

• Tax records

• Liens

• Ownership records

• Plat maps

• Foreclosure records

• Mortgage records

• Deeds

• Zoning information

• Property details

• Assessed values

• Easements and conveyances

• Subdivision covenants

• Homeowners' Association (HOA) filings

• Court judgment affecting property

• Building permit history

• Boundary lines

Instant Access to Georgia Property Records

If you need instant access to Georgia property records, consider searching online databases using one of the following identifiers:

• Address - With a property's street address as the search parameter, you will typically access information such as the current owner's name, parcel number, sales history, property characteristics, and recorded deeds. You will also have quick access to building permit records, mortgage filings, and assessed value.

• Parcel ID - Also called the tax parcel number, the parcel ID is a unique identifier assigned by the County Assessor. As one of the most precise methods to look up property records, a parcel ID search typically shows information such as acreage, legal description, complete tax history, and property map location. It also reveals zoning classification, assessed and fair market value, and subdivision and lot details.

• Owner's Name - Search by full legal or business entity name if you want to determine what real property a person or business owns in Georgia. Name-based searches can help you identify transferred or inherited properties, track ownership records, review liens, and check court judgments associated with a property owner.

• Zip Code - For a broader property search, consider using the zip code search method. This method enables you to search multiple properties in a particular area, review recent sales trends, and compare assessed values within a specific neighborhood. Additionally, zip code-based searches help locate foreclosure opportunities.

Types of Property Records in Georgia

The primary types of property records in Georgia include deeds and conveyance records, property tax records, liens and encumbrances, easements and covenants, plats and surveys, and foreclosures.

Deeds and Conveyance Records

These are both legal instruments used to transfer ownership of real estate between parties. While a deed transfers ownership from one party (grantor) to another (grantee), conveyance records refer to the broader documentation of all ownership transfers and interests in a property.

In addition to transferring legal title to a property from the grantor to the grantee, deeds and conveyance records establish proof of ownership and maintain the chain of title. In Georgia, a valid deed is filed with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the property is located and will contain the following information:

• Grantor and grantee names

• Sale price

• Property description

• Witness signatures

• Signatures and notarization

Here are commonly used deeds in Georgia:

• Warranty Deed - This guarantees that the grantor (seller) holds a clear title to the property and that it is free from liens or encumbrances. In a warranty deed, the grantor agrees to defend the grantee against any defect in property title.

• Quitclaim Deed - In a quitclaim deed, the grantor transfers whatever interest they have in the property to the grantee without any guarantees or warranties about the property title. There is no promise that the title is clear or that there are no claims against the property.

• Limited Warranty Deed - This deed only guarantees title against claims or defects during the grantor's ownership. It makes no promises or guarantees for any claims prior to the seller's ownership period

• Executor's or Administrator's Deed - This conveys interest out of an estate where the Probate Court has appointed an executor or administrator to carry out instructions in the deceased's last will and testament.

• Security Deed - Borrowers use security deeds to convey property to lenders as collateral for loans. In Georgia, a security deed is used in place of a mortgage. It gives the lender legal title to the property until the debtor repays their loan in full and the right to foreclose on the property in the event of default.

Property Tax Records

In Georgia, property tax records contain information such as assessed value, millage rate, tax amount due, exemptions, fair market value, and payment history. These pieces of information primarily document how real property is assessed and taxed at the county level by the County Tax Commissioners and Tax Assessors.

Unless otherwise specified by law, properties across the Peach State are generally assessed at 40% of fair market value. Although local millage rates are used to determine the final tax amount in each county, the state's average effective property tax rate is about 0.77%.

Property owners in Georgia are required to pay their property taxes annually to avoid tax liens, tax executions, or tax sales. Any unpaid property tax creates a priority lien against the real property, and unless that lien is satisfied, it is practically impossible to refinance or transfer the property.

Property Liens and Encumbrances

Encumbrance is a general legal term for any claim or restriction on real property that limits its use and transfer. On the other hand, a lien is a specific type of financial encumbrance arising from debt. It is a legal claim against property for unpaid debt. In Georgia, liens must be resolved before a property sale. If left unaddressed, liens can lead to foreclosures. While all liens are encumbrances, not all encumbrances are liens.

In Georgia, most liens are categorized as voluntary or involuntary liens:

• Voluntary Liens - These are agreed-upon claims where a debtor voluntarily consents to place a lien on their property as security for a loan. When you take a loan and use your property as collateral, this is a voluntary lien, which gives the lender the right to seize the property if you default. A common example of a voluntary lien in the state is the mortgage lien, which gives the lender a security interest when financing property.

• Involuntary Liens - Involuntary liens are non-consensual liens imposed by government, law, or courts due to unpaid debts. In other words, they are legal claims against your property that you did not consent to, imposed as a result of court orders or outstanding bills. The following are the most common types of involuntary liens in Georgia:

  • Property Tax Liens - These are imposed on your property by the county government for failing to pay your property taxes.

  • Judgment Liens - If someone sues you for unpaid debts and wins the lawsuit, the court may impose a judgment lien on your property to enable the creditor to recover the money you owe them.

  • Mechanic's Liens - Contractors or suppliers you employ to work on a project or supply materials may place mechanic's liens on your property if you fail to pay them for labor or materials.

  • Homeowners' Association (HOA) Liens - Failure to pay HOA fees can result in homeowners' association liens.

Easements and Covenants

Covenants are restrictions placed on property use, while easements are legal rights allowing third parties limited use of property without transferring ownership. In other words, while an easement allows other individuals to use a portion of your property, a covenant is a binding rule that dictates how you can use your land, and it is commonly found in subdivisions and HOAs.

In Georgia, covenants are typically recorded in deed restrictions or subdivision plats. They are governed by O.C.G.A. Section 44-5-60 and remain enforceable unless legally removed. On the other hand, easements are recorded in county land records and may run with the land, binding future owners of the property.

Common categories of easements in the state include express easement, prescriptive easement, utility easement, and right-of-way.

• An express easement is formally created in writing.

• A prescriptive easement is created when an individual uses a portion of another person's land for a specific purpose continuously without permission. A common example is a path.

• A utility easement grants utility companies access to install and maintain utility lines.

• Right-of-way provides third parties access to landlocked property, such as a driveway.

Examples of covenants in Georgia include restrictions on building architectural designs, property use limitations (residential-only zoning), restrictions on landscaping, and HOA restrictions.

Plats and Surveys

These are legal, scaled maps of property/land boundaries and features essential for real estate development and resolving boundary disputes. A plat shows property boundaries and provides an overview of land divisions for an entire development or neighborhood. On the other hand, a survey, which is primarily prepared by a licensed surveyor, typically includes improvements specific to a property.

As a recorded subdivision map in Georgia, a standard plat will show lot numbers, block numbers, easements, common areas, and road layouts. Plats are typically filed with the Clerk of Superior Court and usually referenced in recorded deeds.

A Georgia survey identifies encroachments, exact boundary lines of a parcel, acreage, and physical improvements, such as fences, houses, and driveways. It is commonly used in boundary dispute resolution, new construction, and property purchases.

Building Permits and Regulations

In Georgia, building permit records generally document authorized new construction, structural changes, and major renovations to real property. The county or municipal building departments across the state are largely responsible for issuing building permits within their jurisdictions. A typical permit record includes the type of work, inspection approvals, contract details, and final certificate of occupancy.

While most counties or municipalities allow online permit applications, others may require in-person submission of completed application forms at the building department office. Documentation usually includes surveys, detailed plans, and site plans. Regardless of the county or municipality, the step-by-step process below shows how you can obtain a building permit in Georgia:

• Identify the permit requirements, as different projects require different types of permits.

• Prepare your detailed plans and the required documentation, including proof of property ownership, environmental assessments, and surveys.

• Submit the application online through the county or local government website or in person.

• The county or municipal building or planning department reviews submitted plans to ensure they comply with local zoning laws, local building codes, environmental regulations, and Georgia Construction Codes.

• The building department approves the application and issues your permit if all submitted documents are in order.

• Pay the applicable permit fees and obtain the permit.

• Schedule inspections at various stages of the project, during which inspectors from the building department will visit the site.

• After the final inspection upon project completion, you will receive a Certificate of Occupancy (CO).

Property Descriptions and Boundaries

Property descriptions are legal, written definitions that precisely describe a real property's location and boundaries. They are legally binding and are critical for identifying property, construction planning, deed transfers, utility installations, boundary disputes, and court proceedings that affect property.

A property description in Georgia often includes the following:

• Physical Address - The specific physical location of the property.

• Survey Details - References to record plats, including county, district, and lot.

• Legal Description - Detailed text defining the property's exact boundaries.

• Development Status - Details stating if the property is improved (has structures), such as a commercial or residential building, or unimproved.

Here are the common methods used in property legal descriptions in Georgia:

• Metes and Bounds - This method uses distance, direction, and natural landmarks, such as trees, rivers, or stones, to define or trace a property's boundaries. While metes are the straight-line distances and directions that define the boundary lines, bounds refer to the physical features that characterize the property.

• Lot and Block - The lot and block description method identifies a property by referencing a specific lot number and block within a particular subdivision plat. It relies mainly on the plat filed with the county, showing the location and dimensions of lots, blocks, and streets.

• Government Survey - This method specifies the location of a parcel of land using baselines, prime meridians, guide meridians, standard parallels, townships, and sections. They are largely common in older rural communities.

Foreclosures

Foreclosure records document the process through which a lender enforces its lien on a property due to the owner's inability to meet loan repayment obligations. Georgia is a non-judicial foreclosure state, as lenders can foreclose on property without filing a lawsuit or appearing in court, provided they follow proper notice requirements.

Under state law, before selling a foreclosed property, lenders must provide notice of sale by advertising the foreclosure sale in the official county newspaper once a week for four consecutive weeks. It is important to send these notices of sale to the property owner at least 30 days before the sale. Once the sale is completed on the courthouse steps, a deed under power is issued to transfer the title officially.

Georgia foreclosure records are typically recorded in county land records. You will find them at the Superior Court Clerk's office in the county where the property is located. Foreclosures present investors with several opportunities, including the following:

• Pre-foreclosures can help investors identify property owners and contact them with offers during the delinquency period. With this, investors can get a discounted price while the property owner avoids foreclosure.

• Banks can take ownership of properties that do not sell at auction and clean them up. Such properties are easier to purchase with financing than auction properties.

• Wholesaling opportunity, where an investor locks a distressed property under contract and then sells the contract to another investor before auction.

• The opportunity to buy properties at the lowest acquisition prices offered at public auctions on the courthouse steps, typically on the first Tuesday of each month.

Understanding Property Ownership in Georgia

Property ownership documentation in Georgia shows how ownership has changed over time. It creates a clear public history of real estate transactions, which protects buyers, sellers, lenders, and investors.

Ownership History Records

Every recorded transfer of property from one party to another is documented in ownership records. In Georgia, ownership transfers are documented through recorded deeds filed with the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county where the property is located. Generally, ownership transfers can occur in several ways, including through foreclosures, traditional sales, estate administration, divorce settlements, and court-ordered sales. In Georgia, property ownership may also transfer through gifts or inheritance.

Tracking property transfers helps determine whether ownership is potentially subject to disputes or is clean. You can trace property owners in Georgia by searching the following:

• Recorded deeds

• Foreclosures

• Mortgage filings

• Court orders affecting property title

• Estate transfer documents

Property transfers that occur through sale are often recorded via deeds that include the grantor and grantee details, date of transfer, legal property description, consideration, and recording information. With these details, you can track how ownership moved from one party to another by reviewing successive deeds in chronological order.

What Is the Chain of Title?

This is a comprehensive, chronological record of a real property's ownership from the first owner to the current titleholder. In Georgia, it is primarily established through documents such as recorded deeds, court judgments, mortgage filings, easements, foreclosure documents, encumbrances, and releases or satisfactions of debt. Each document in the chain links one owner to the next, ensuring there is no break or gap.

Before acquiring a property, it is important to conduct a title search to ensure there is no break in the chain of title and no hidden claims or defects exist. A title search also helps verify legal ownership of the property, which will reveal whether the seller has the legal right to transfer it. It is mostly conducted by lenders, title companies, professional abstractors, and real estate attorneys.

Furthermore, purchasing title insurance at the closing of real estate transactions in Georgia is essential for added protection. It protects buyers and lenders against financial loss due to past title issues, such as clerical recording errors, forged documents, boundary disputes, and unreleased liens that were not detected by title searches.

Buying and Selling Property in Georgia

Georgia property records provide the documentation and information necessary to confirm ownership, assess the property's history, and uncover any financial obligations before closing a real estate transaction. The following are common ways to put property records to good use in the state:

• Review the most recently recorded deed and chain of title history to ensure a seller has the legal authority to transfer ownership.

• Check property tax records to confirm the current tax status, assessed and fair market values, delinquent taxes, and exemptions. Reviewing these records will help you avoid unexpected liabilities, as unpaid property taxes in Georgia can create superior liens against the property.

• Perform a title search and ensure there are no outstanding financial claims or liens. Typically, unresolved liens can delay or prevent closing a real estate transaction. They must be satisfied before the property can transfer.

• To avoid insurance complications and safety risks after purchase, review building permit records to confirm that renovations were properly permitted, additions were legally constructed, and inspections were completed.

• Review fair market value to determine whether a property is fairly priced and to gain insight into its appreciation potential.

Disclosure Requirements for Sellers in Georgia

Georgia is a "buyer-beware" (caveat emptor) state, meaning the buyer is primarily responsible for uncovering defects. However, this does not absolve sellers from disclosing known defects. While no standard disclosure form is required, sellers are required by law to disclose any known material defects in property that could significantly affect its safety, value, and usability. Common examples of such defects include the following:

• Structural Problems - Roof leaks, foundation cracks, electrical system failure, and plumbing system failure

• Environmental Hazards - Mold infestation and termite infestation

Why Property Values Are Important

Determined through assessments and appraisals, property values play a crucial role in real estate transactions, property investments, taxation, and lending.

• Property Assessments - In Georgia, the County Tax Assessors conduct property assessments, which are used to determine the taxable value of each property in the state. Properties are usually assessed at 40% of their fair market value after evaluating property condition, recent comparable sales, location, and improvements. Assessment records help determine annual tax obligations and can impact eligibility for homestead exemptions.

• Property Appraisals - These are independent professional evaluations of a property's fair market value. To determine the appraised value of a property, a licensed appraiser will evaluate comps, location, current market conditions, and the condition of that property. In Georgia, you will typically need property appraisals to obtain a mortgage or refinance a property. They are also required in divorce or estate settlements.

The following are the key relevances of property values to taxes, real estate transactions, and mortgages in Georgia:

• Property values directly impact how much tax you pay on taxes annually. While higher property values can mean increased tax bills, lower values may reduce tax burdens but can affect resale equity.

• Accurate valuation reports protect sellers' and buyers' interests in real estate transactions. While they help sellers in setting competitive listing prices, they assist buyers in negotiating based on market data, preventing them from overpaying for real property.

• Property values help mortgage lenders in making informed lending decisions regarding interest rates, eligible loan amounts, refinancing eligibility, and loan-to-value ratios.

Managing Property Records: Updates and Corrections

Keeping property records accurate and up to date protects ownership rights and ensures smooth real estate transactions. In Georgia, all corrections or updates to recorded property documents are handled by the appropriate local government offices in the county where the property is located. You can correct or update most records through the Clerk of Superior Court and, at times, the Probate Court of the County Tax Assessor, depending on the document type.

To correct errors in recorded property documents in Georgia, you need to record a new document, such as a corrective deed or affidavit of correction, with the Clerk of the Superior Court. The exact document to file depends on the severity of the error. Common errors in property documents include clerical recording mistakes, misspelled names, incorrect parcel numbers, and inaccurate legal descriptions.

Life events, such as divorce, marriage, and death, may require formal updates to Georgia property records.

• If you need to add a spouse to a property title after marriage, prepare a new deed and record it with the Clerk of the Superior Court. Similarly, to update your record due to a name change after marriage, file an affidavit stipulating the name change and record a new deed reflecting the updated legal name.

• If a court awards property to one spouse after a divorce, execute a new deed transferring ownership and record it with the Clerk of Superior Court to update property records. You may need additional lender documentation if refinancing is required.

• Property record updates after the owner's death can be processed in two ways, depending on the circumstance:

  • If the property was solely owned by the deceased, the estate may go through probate, during which an executor's or administrator's deed may be issued. Afterward, the executor or administrator must record the deed transferring ownership to heirs or beneficiaries with the Clerk of the Superior Court.

  • For property jointly held with survivorship rights, the surviving owner is required to record a certified copy of the death certificate and an affidavit of survivorship with the Clerk of Superior Court to update the ownership record.

Designated Offices for Property Records Update in Georgia

• Clerk of Superior Court - Records corrective documents and maintains deeds and liens.

• County Tax Assessor - Updates ownership information on tax records and maintains assessed values.

• Probate Court - Handles estate administration in the transfer of an estate.

The Role of Local Government and Courts

The following local government offices and courts play active roles in Georgia's property records management system:

• Clerk of Superior Court - The Clerk of the Superior Court records and maintains property documents that establish legal ownership and create public notices of interests. These documents include deeds, liens, easements, plat maps, mortgages, and restrictive covenants.

• County Tax Assessor - This office is responsible for property assessments and valuation. Each assessor's office in Georgia determines the fair market value of real property for tax purposes.

• County Tax Commissioner - The County Tax Commissioner's Office bills and collects tax payments. It keeps records such as annual tax bills, tax sales, payment history, and delinquent taxes.

• Local Planning and Building Departments - These departments issue building permits and maintain records relating to zoning classifications, building permits, certificates of occupancy, and code enforcement actions.

• Probate Court - In Georgia, Probate Courts determine how ownership is legally passed when property transfers due to death.

How to Ensure Data Privacy for Property Records

The Georgia Open Records Act allows members of the public to inspect and obtain copies of property-related documents, but not all property information is public. For instance, you may access details such as names, addresses, deed records, and assessed values in a property record. However, confidential details such as Social Security numbers, financial information, and other sensitive identifiers in court filings are protected by law and are often not subject to public disclosure.

A property document, like a deed or mortgage, becomes a public document once recorded, making some information publicly accessible. Therefore, it is essential to scrutinize recording documents before filing them to ensure that unnecessary sensitive information is not included and to avoid exposure to fraud.

Here are tips to help reduce your exposure to fraud that capitalizes on public property ownership records in Georgia:

• Avoid entering unnecessary personal information, such as email addresses, phone numbers, and Social Security numbers, on recorded documents unless expressly required. Instead, consider using business contact details, including physical and mailing addresses.

• If you have vacant or investment properties, promptly respond to unexpected legal notices to prevent them from becoming targets of deed fraud.

• Monitor your property records regularly to ensure no unauthorized deeds or liens have been recorded against it.