CAUTION FROM THE NASSAU COUNTY CLERK

Yesterday, I received a form letter from Nassau County Clerk Maureen O’Connell cautioning homeowners about mass mailings recently sent to residents from the "US Government Federal Citizen Information Center" or such other names. I have received one myself. These mass mailings urge homeowners to purchase a “certified copy” of the deed to their home. All deeds for property located in Nassau County are recorded and maintained at the County Clerk’s Office and only the Clerk’s Office can issue certified copies of these records. It appears that private companies are soliciting the purchase of a deed on behalf of the homeowner for more than 1000% over the Clerk’s office fees. Anyone wishing to request a certified copy of their deed can contact Clerk O’Connell’s office at 516-571-2664 for further information. And this is from the Nassau County Clerk's website:
"How do I obtain a copy of my Mortgage or Deed? The fastest way to obtain this information is to come to this office. We are located at 240 Old Country Road, Mineola. Computer terminals are located within our office and are available to the public during normal business hours to research mortgages, deeds and other documents affecting real property within Nassau County. Knowing your section, block, and lot will be helpful when researching a property. If you are unable to come in person, title companies can do the research for you. For a referral to a reputable title company, you can contact the New York State Land Title Association at 212-964-3701. Please provide us with as much information as possible. If you know the section, block and lot the charge is $1.30 for a document up to 2-pages; $.65 per page for every page thereafter. If you require us to do a search for that information, the charge is $7.00, for up to a 4-page document, plus $1.00 per additional page. "