Bates County Recorder of Deeds Lucille Mundey urges county residents to be wary of mail offers to provide copies of legal documents.
The Recorders' Association of Missouri recently notified Recorders about a private company’s offer to obtain copies of property deeds that charge homeowners an excessive fee. The Fulton, Missouri company, Record Retrieval, has mailed the offer to residents of Missouri's counties.
Property owners have received a letter offering an official certified copy of their deed for $87.00 or more. These companies simply contact the recorder’s office to obtain the document and then turn around and mail it to the homeowner while charging them the higher fees.
Mundey said most property owners obtained their original property deed when their property was purchased.
It is also noted that this company's offer costs significantly more than obtaining certified property deeds directly from the Bates County Recorder’s Office. Fees are $1 per page, plus $1 for the certification and most property deeds are no more than one or two pages which usually will cost around $3.00.
Missouri recorders are concerned about companies trying to take advantage of our citizens by not being truthful. If anyone receives one of these letters, you are urged to ignore it.
For information or to obtain a copy of your property deed, you may visit the Bates County Recorder’s Office in the Bates County Courthouse or call the office at 660-679-3611.
