ROCHESTER, N.Y. — What can you do to stop someone from stealing the deed to your home in Monroe County?

In the past decade, the New York City sheriff’s office says more than 3,500 homeowners filed deed theft complaints in New York City. Homeowners may be wondering if anything being done to stop deed thefts in Monroe County.

In some parts of New York State, county clerks have a fraud alert system. If someone files a document in your name, you’ll automatically get an email. The goal is stop someone from stealing the deed to your house.

Homeowners can sign up to get notifications but Monroe County is not an option on the drop-down menu. JP asks: “does the Monroe County clerk have such a warning system?”

Monroe County Clerk Jamie Romeo says the county currently doesn’t have an automatic alert system. However, her office is required by New York State law to send a “notice of sale or transfer of ownership” after a deed is transferred.

She says “should it be a matter of fraud, there is nothing a county clerk’s office can independently do to address the matter. It would still require an intervention by the courts/litigation.”

So what can you do if you’re concerned about deed theft? If you live in Monroe County, you can search your name in the Monroe County clerk’s database to see what documents have been recorded in your name.

The county clerk’s office says its currently looking into a new records management system, which might include the automatic fraud alert function.

If you have a question you’d like answered, send an email to goodquestion@whec.com.