FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                            JUNE 3, 2009 

COUNTY WARNS:

DON’T OVERPAY FOR CERTIFIED COPY OF DEED

Document can be obtained from County Clerk at low cost

            County Executive Andy Spano and County Clerk Tim Idoni today warned property owners to beware of a letter seeking big bucks for a certified copy of the deed to their property.  Instead of paying $59.50 to a private company, homeowners can obtain the same document from the county clerk’s office for as little as $5.

            “In these tough economic times, consumers can ill-afford to pay a huge mark-up for an inexpensive public document,” said Spano.  “It’s an unnecessary expense and something government can easily provide.”

            Idoni noted that his office routinely provides copies of such public documents at minimal cost.

            “I can’t believe that these private companies are charging our residents -- many of them senior citizens -- up to12 times the normal cost of getting a certified copy of a deed,” Idoni said.  “All these companies do is get a copy of the deed from my office, and then resell it at a much higher price.”

            One company sending out letters is New York Record Retrieval, Inc. of Manhattan.  The company is not a government agency and is not affiliated with any county clerk’s office. 

            Westchester County homeowners can obtain a certified copy of their deed from the county clerk’s office for the cost of only $5 for up to five pages, plus $1 for each additional page.

Homeowners who are interested in obtaining a certified copy of their deed can do so in person at the County Clerk’s office, located at 110 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in White Plains, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5:45 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. Copies can also be obtained by mail; for further information, call (914)995-3094.

Residents should also know that if their deed was filed in the county clerk’s office, it has been recorded and remains valid whether or not the homeowner has a certified copy of that deed in their possession.

A new state law that took effect in October 2008 makes it illegal for private companies to send this type of solicitation unless it clearly states, in bold print, that a certified copy of a deed can be obtained from the County Clerk’s office for between $4 and $20. 

“While the letters sent by New York Record Retrieval make the disclosure required by the new state law, the company is still charging a huge mark-up,” said Gary Brown, director of Consumer Protection.  “Homeowners should ignore these letters and contact the county clerk if they need a certified copy of their deed.”