Fraud on the Rise with Vacant Land Listings
In this electronic age, there are more and more opportunities for those who would wreak havoc on our lives to do so and those who would find ways to defraud us of those things we own. I've gotten several requests from would-be sellers to list and sell vacant land recently. But, upon doing my due diligence it seemed that the inquiring party did not have the authority to sell the property.
So, to avoid heartache and grief when listing land here are some tips to help.
- Request a copy of and review the owner’s government-issued photo ID before signing the listing agreement, be sure you have this for all parties on title and if one or more parties are deceased be sure to get a copy of the death certificate and any will or documentation to show that the listing party is authorized to do so;
- Request and have a video call (e.g., Teams, Zoom, or FaceTime) with all owners before signing the listing agreement.
- Mail a copy of the fully executed Listing Agreement to the owner’s mailing address as listed on the County’s Property Appraiser’s website/tax rolls.
If anything seems amiss be sure to bring it up with your manager or legal advisor.
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