Tazewell County property owners have a new tool to recover from property fraud.
In 2021, the county partnered with Iowa-based Fidlar Technologies to provide a free property fraud alert program. The program monitors transactions in the county’s Recorder of Deeds office and alerts residents if there’s a change to their property status.
In the three years since its implementation, county officials say 12,000 people have subscribed to the service, with 7,000 alerts going out.
Fidlar president Alex Riggen says the alerts usually go out the same day as a transaction, by email, text or phone call. They monitor for changes like the filing of quit claim deeds, refinancing mortgages, or putting a lien on a property.
“That’s why it’s so easy for people,” Riggen said. “They can go [to the Recorder of Deeds], they can fill it out and they can say ‘I now own your home and there’s a legal document in the public record that says that.’”
Under the current system, Tazewell County Clerk John Ackerman says after sending out the alert, there wasn’t much the county could do for property owners.
“They have to go to civil court. It could be costly. It can be time consuming,” he said. “You’re putting a huge burden on the backs of the victim when this occurs.”
Now, the county will implement a new “review and referral” system provided by Fidlar. With the new system, the Recorder of Deeds office will be able to flag fraud reported by property owners, set the transaction aside for review, contract with law enforcement and enlist the help of an administrative law judge.
“This is how we fulfill that commitment to the taxpayers of Tazewell County,” Ackerman said. “By offering this, rather than just telling you ‘yes, this has happened, but you’re on your own,’ we will be able to offer a process in which this can be resolved.”
Ackerman says the FBI has designated property fraud as one of the fastest rising categories of white collar crime. He cautions Tazewell County residents against shrugging off the risk, citing high-profile examples. One includes a recent attempt to fraudulently auction off Elvis’ Graceland estate.
“If they really thought that they could take Graceland and nobody would pay attention, what do you think they’re doing to your vacant farmland? Or what do you think that they’re doing to the rental home that you’re not really monitoring closely?” Ackerman said.
Tazewell County property owners, businesses and trusts can sign up for the service here. The “review and refer” service will be active in 90 days, after staff training.
