Like in a scene from a bad movie, many shocked Marinites abruptly learned they no longer owned their home due to paperwork fraud. To combat this white-collar corruption, the Marin County Recorder’s Office and district attorney teamed up to create an anti-fraud program and take action against house stealing. “Deed fraud is a serious crime,” says Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk Shelly Scott. “We want to be proactive with this and prevent Marin residents from being victimized.” The Marin County Recorder’s Office could previously review requirements for recording but couldn’t refuse a properly prepared document (even a suspicious one), which led to dubious transfers in ownership. This ordinance ensures homeowners are notified as soon as ownership transfer documents are filed so they can take immediate action in the case of a scam.
