Contact: Sarah Hegnauer
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .(330) 643-8472 Akron, Ohio, May 18, 2018 – Summit County Fiscal Officer Kristen M. Scalise CPA, CFE has announced that legislation to help protect Ohio’s seniors and other unsuspecting populations against deceptive marketing practices has unanimously passed by both the House and Senate Chambers. Amended House Bill 52 makes several reforms to regulate the solicitation of real property deeds.
Amended House Bill 52 comes in response to deed solicitation scams plaguing many Ohioans, including the elderly and first time homeowners. These scams involve companies outside of Ohio sending official looking notifications to property owners, instructing them to acquire a copy of their deed at the cost of $80-$90. Homeowners are often unaware that they can obtain a certified copy of their deed directly from the Summit County Fiscal Office for only $5.
“Thank you to the Ohio legislature for protecting our property owners from consumer scams like this,” said Fiscal Officer Scalise. “I want Summit County homeowners to know that they can obtain a copy of their deed directly from my office, without the assistance of a third party. The cost for a printed copy is $4, plus an additional $1 if you would like the deed certified. Electronic copies can be downloaded from our website at no cost.”
The provisions under Amended House Bill 52 require that specific disclosures be made to consumers when they are solicited a fee for real property deeds. Companies will now be required to include the cost to obtain the deed from the county recorder, the contact information for the county recorder, and the name and address of the person soliciting the fee. The bill also prohibits charging a fee of more than four times the cost to obtain a copy of the deed from the county recorder. A violation of these requirements falls under the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act and may result in a fine.
Property owners who would like to obtain a copy of their deed may submit a request in person or by mail to the Summit County Fiscal Office. The cost of the copy is $4, plus an additional $1 to have the copy certified. When requesting a copy of your deed by mail, please send a check and a self-addressed stamped envelope to Summit County Fiscal Office, Recorder Division, 175 S. Main St., 4th floor, Akron, OH 44308.
For more information, contact the Summit County Fiscal Office, Recorder Division at 330-643-2712 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
