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Is My Deceased Parent's House at Risk for Deed Fraud?

Use the free tool — Property Fraud Alert FL

Why a deceased parent's house is a target

A property still recorded in a deceased person's name is a prime target for deed fraud. Fraudsters look for homes where no one is checking the mail or answering notices closely. Deed fraud is rising in Florida, and someone can record a forged deed or a fake lien against the home before the heirs even know.

What Florida law says

Recording a forged or fraudulent deed or lien against real property is a felony in Florida under Fla. Stat. 817.535. A forged deed conveys nothing in law, but clearing it from the record requires a court action called a quiet-title suit. If there is an owner's title insurance policy, it may cover part of the cost — confirm with the insurer.

Check the deed right now

• Go to the county property appraiser's site to see the current owner of record and the mailing address for tax bills. Find your county's appraiser through the Florida Dept. of Revenue directory.
• Search the county clerk's official records by the owner's name (as grantor and grantee) for any deed, mortgage, lien, lis pendens, or power of attorney that your parent or the estate didn't sign.
• Confirm the tax-bill mailing address hasn't quietly changed.

Turn on the free alert

Every Florida county clerk offers a free property-fraud alert. It emails or texts you when a document is recorded in a name you register — you can register your deceased parent's name now. Find your county's clerk through the Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers — Property Fraud Alert page.

Signs something is wrong

• Mail stops arriving, or the tax bill goes to an address the family didn't set.
• A notice of a loan, HELOC, or sale that no one in the family arranged.
• A "cash offer" mailing aimed at the property — this is common on its own and not itself fraud, but it's a sign the address is on lists that fraudsters also use.
• A stranger asking about ownership, or a utility transfer no one requested.
• A notice of default on a mortgage the family doesn't recognize.

If a fraudulent document turns up

1. Don't sign anything a stranger sends.
2. Get a copy of the recorded document from the clerk.
3. File a police report and keep the report number.
4. Notify the clerk's office of the suspected fraud.
5. Notify the title insurer, if there is an owner's policy.
6. Consult a Florida real-estate attorney about a quiet-title action and a lis pendens.
7. Alert the mortgage lender, if there is one.
8. Report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center and the Florida Attorney General's consumer-fraud line.

Heirs sorting out a parent's estate should also talk to a probate attorney or free legal aid soon — see FloridaLawHelp.org for free help by county, for those who qualify.

What we don't know

This is not legal advice, and it never determines whether any specific document is forged — only the clerk's office or a professional can decide that. County procedures can differ; confirm with your clerk and property appraiser. If something was recorded that the family didn't sign, get the document from the clerk, file a police report, and talk to a Florida real-estate attorney or legal aid today.

What to do next

Our free tool reads your own situation — your county, the property, and what's happened — and walks you through the deed lookup, the alert sign-up, and the response steps in plain language, in English or Spanish. Nothing you type is stored. It's not a substitute for the clerk's records or a professional, so always confirm before acting.

Property Fraud Alert FL explains deed-fraud prevention and response in plain language from official Florida sources; it can be wrong, and it is not legal advice. County procedures differ — the clerk's and property appraiser's sites control. Nothing you type is stored.