The Register of Deeds in North Carolina’s Wake County, which became the center of national attention last summer in a high-profile case of deed theft, has unveiled a new land-use records platform with a fraud alert system designed to prevent a repeat of that notorious incident.
The Raleigh News & Observer reports the new platform includes an updated fraud alert system that provides automated real-time notifications after filings are made. The free fraud alerts are generated with the software Fraud Notify and sent by email to the property owners.
However, the fraud alerts will not stop the deed transfer from happening, although it will make homeowners aware that property fraud had been committed. North Carolina law does not require the Register of Deeds to verify the legality of a deed presented for registration, nor is the office mandated with determining whether the notary or drafter of the document is committing fraud.
Register of Deeds Tammy Brunner said the new platform has been planned for several years and was being installed as part of a land-use records system that encompasses the county’s land documentations going back to 1785. However, Brunner’s office was in the spotlight in September when media reports highlighted how a fraudster named Dawn Mangum filed a deed for a property that is owned by Dr. Craig Adams, a dentist. Adams did not know Mangum and only learned what was happening when his homeowners’ association informed him that Mangum was trying to gain the access codes for the gated community where he lives. Mangum was arrested and Adams needed to go to court to restore the deed to his name.
Brunner insisted the Mangum case was the only one of its kind that she was aware of at her office, adding, “If there are more, they haven’t let our office know.”
