Having your home title stolen

Recall reading a story on here several months back about a guy in LaPlace that would steal a house by filing new records at the registrar's office identifying him as the homeowner. Wonder if this is what OP is referring to

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Has this ever happened to you and/or friends?

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No.

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I see these commercials all the time. Is this really a thing?

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Yes. If it's notarized, then the clerk has to accept a deed. They can be easily forged.

However, I don't think you need to pay someone to monitor it. It seems like something that could be taken care of with a police report, then forward said report to any creditors and tell them to fix their own problems.

Listen to the pitch, "I've had Title Insurance for xx years, and my home title has never been stolen".

What missing is the 100M who don't pay for this and still have not had their title stolen.

Could it happen, sure, but I think the odds are exceedingly low.

I wouldn't think anyone with half a brain would allow this to happen.

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Recall reading a story on here several months back about a guy in LaPlace that would steal a house by filing new records at the registrar's office identifying him as the homeowner. Wonder if this is what OP is referring to

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I’ve seen a few stories about this. People filing new records and they don’t ask for an ID. Then take out a 2nd mortgage on the property. The real owner is left trying to fight it. One story had the bank repoing his house for not paying the 2nd mortgage or heloc that he didn’t take out. A nightmare.

The threat of title fraud is real—and the impact can be devastating.

Title fraud is a scam that involves criminals stealing your home, then borrowing against it or selling it behind your back. Your home and hard-earned equity can be snatched away with just a signature.

The FBI calls it House Stealing and warns all homeowners to stay vigilant and monitor their home titles. Why aren't the authorities doing anything to stop this? Unfortunately, the county recording systems in the United States are vulnerable to fraudulent, mistaken and otherwise illegitimate filings.

Home Title Lock detects activity and changes to your home's title, adding an essential layer of security to protect your most valuable asset, locking in your peace of mind.

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I wouldn't think anyone with half a brain would allow this to happen.

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That's the scam.

Most courthouses have title records on-line since they are public record. You can look up any property, print the deed, switch grantee name to grantor and enter your name, alias I would assume, as grantee to avoid leaving a trail back to you (the thief). Copy actual owners signature and move to grantor. Have a shady notary notarize it without witnessing the signatures and go file it back at the courthouse. The clerk has to accept it by law if it's notarized even if they suspect it's fake.

The thief then borrows against home value as quickly as possible. They take the money, never make a payment, and the bank forecloses on the "new" owner.

Your first clue may only be a seizure/foreclosure notice if the thief uses your own address.

Nonetheless, file an affidavit stating you did not sell. File police report. Tell the bank to go look for the thief if they want their money back... (That's what the title insurance company will do)

Headache? Yes.
End of the world? No.

What's crazy is the shite people CAN get away with, yet when we need legit customer service it can be nearly im-fricking-possible to get shite done.

We've been trying to rollover my wife's old 403b now for months. It's her fricking money and every step of the way there's some bullshite. But if somebody wanted to steal it, they'd probably ask them if they wanted it as a certified check or cash, today.