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LETTER: Property owners be aware

3 min read

Property owners be aware

Several attorneys who are real estate practitioners have brought to our attention a matter that may be impacting Washington County property owners.

It seems that many property owners from all areas of the county are receiving a solicitation by mail to purchase property assessment information. The Washington County Bar Association and its members want to make the public aware that such information is already readily available, and much of it for free.

The most recent solicitation letters forwarded to us look like government-produced documents, listing legitimate parcel ID numbers for the recipient’s property, record locator information, and other data that is readily culled from public information on the internet. While there is a disclaimer displayed on the solicitation, the design of the mail-piece may compel unsuspecting property owners into thinking that they are required to pay the fee.

Two solicitations, each from slightly different senders, one with a Harrisburg address and the other from the state of California, each contain the exact same disclaimer at the top of the page: “This service to obtain a copy of your property assessment profile is not associated with any governmental agency. You can obtain a copy of your grant deed or other record of title from the county recorder in the county where your property is located for a nominal fee.” We encourage you to follow that advice!

You can search online, at no cost, for property assessment information on any property that is listed on the Washington County tax rolls at the following URL: http://tyler.washcopa.org/pt/forms/htmlframe.aspx?mode=content/home.htm. Copies of deeds and other publicly accessible property information may be purchased at a nominal cost directly from the Washington County recorder of deeds, located next to the county courthouse in the Landmark Building at 95 W. Beau Street in Suite 520.

If you receive a mail, phone, or internet solicitation and have a question about whether or not it is legitimate or a scam, we urge you to contact an attorney for help in protecting your hard-earned money and your rights. If you do not know an attorney and want to schedule a half-hour consultation with one, visit the Washington County Bar Association’s online lawyer referral service at www.washcobar.org for details.

deRicci Getty

Washington

deRicci Getty is the president

of the Washington County Bar

Association.

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