Need a copy of your property deed? That'll be 90 bucks... or 4...

Got this letter in the mail today.   Some outfit called "New York Record Retrieval, Inc."   Their records, so they say, indicate that the deed to my house was filed on such and such a date indicating that the deed was now mine instead of the previous owner's. Ok.  (Anyone can look up such public records easily enough.)

The letter continues: "The U.S. government web site recommends that property owners should have an official or certified copy of their deed."  Now, since the USA.gov web site is really a portal that can take you almost anywhere you need to the right site you're looking for, it's hard for me to find that particular piece of advice, though the truth is, of course you need a copy of the deed to prove the house is yours.

"If you don't already have this important document, you may obtain one now."  Ok, but how?  Ah, here it comes: "To obtain a Certified Copy of your Deed, complete the order form below, etc."   The payment: $89.50.  This covers locating the deed, retrieving it, and of course the infamous postage and handling. 

But interestingly, there is a notice in boldfaced type:

"Certified copies of property deeds are available at the county clerk's office. The county clerk's office may charge a small fee for certified copies of such deeds, usually between two and four dollars a page. Since most property deeds are between two and five pages in length, a certified copy can usually be obtained for between four and twenty dollars."

And indeed, to obtain a certified copy of the deed to my house -- if I can't find the one we have -- will cost me, according to my checking via the City's web site -- will cost me four bucks.  

The notice at the bottom of the letter is actually required by New York State law, General Business Law 393-D, sponsored by State Senator Stephen M. Saland in 2008, in response to such huckster outfits charging people exorbitant retrieval fees. 

Now, that such companies exist does not shock me; they prey on the stupidity and fear of people, especially elderly homeowners who might not know where there deed is, and charge them up to twenty times  the cost you'd pay for a copy if you filed a request with the county clerk's office.  What baffles my mind is that such con artists would still present their dry offer even with the notice that they are required by law to have.   If it were me, I'd point out: okay, NYS law says we gotta have this here, but c'mon, get real: you wanna go to the country clerk's office, in the biggest city in the country and wait half a day to file a request?   Or do you wanna hope your grandchildren can file the request on the internet for you?   We save you time. Time is money.   Fill out the form.  Send us a check.  And Relax!