Do I Need A Title Fraud Monitor?
As was recently pointed out in Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, the short answer is NO. When you purchase real estate, you should purchase title insurance (this will be required by the lender if you place a mortgage on your property). Title insurance insures that you have marketable title to the property you purchased. This does NOT protect you from subsequent title fraud.
However, you can check your title on line yourself. There is no need to pay Home Title Lock (or any other service) to monitor your title. On line, go to the web site of the registrar of deeds for your county and state; you will be able to check for any subsequent documents that may affect your title. In Oklahoma, go to okcc.online, click registrar of deeds (ROD); then, type in your names to find any documents recorded. This is a free service from the county clerk's office, and there is no need to pay someone else to do what you can easily do yourself.
Grayson P. Van Horn is an attorney at law serving Oklahoma residents and property owners.
Image credit: istockphoto.com/Vasyl Dolmatov