Doxpop Provides a free service called Property Watch allowing property owners in the counties we serve to set a watch for Recorded Documents filed that match the legal description of their property and/or their name.
The purpose of this service is to keep people informed of any Recorded Document that may affect them. Although similar services are touted as "Fraud Alert" systems, Doxpop takes a less scary approach: We believe that property owners should simply be aware of anything that affects them, including the vast majority of documents that are legitimate.
The following are the most common questions we are asked about this service:
Will Property Watch prevent someone from filing a fraudulent document?
No. Because the law does not allow Recorders to reject any properly formatted document, it is currently not possible to prevent fraudulent filings. Our role is to notify you quickly enough that you can take action before the fraudster does damage by convincing their real victim (the "buyer") that they can take possession of your property. A fraudulent document does not actually transfer ownership, so the damage that occurs is when the person who thinks they bought the parcel from a fraudster shows up to take possession. Immediate notification allows you to prevent the damage through swift action.
If I receive a notification, does it mean fraud has occured?
No! In fact, fraud is extremely rare. The vast majority of notifications we send out just alert you that a legitimate document has been filed. That's why we call our service "Property Watch" instead of giving it a scary name like "Fraud Warning". If you receive a notification, there is usually no cause for immediate concern. We expect you will almost always recognize the document as being part of a transaction you're aware of. However, if you don't recognize the document, you should follow up as soon as possible to learn more.
I have subscribed to property watch for a property that is described using "Section/Township/Range" in the legal description, and I'm getting alerts for parcels that are not mine. Why does this happen?
Only the "short" legal description and party names are consistently entered in the indexing system for Recorded Documents. In rural areas, the short legal is not very specific, and typically only allows us to narrow the match down to a "Section", which is a one square mile area. If your legal description is composed of one- or two-digit numbers and the letters N, S, E, W separated by dashes, you are affected by this. (Example: 29-11N-1W N) Although we know alerts for this type of parcel are not very precise, we always send notifications for a potential match. We believe the trouble of investigating a potential false positive result is worth it to avoid missing an actual match. If you receive an alert of this sort, just contact us, and we'll look at the specific document to help you assess whether it really refers to your parcel.
Does signing up for Property Watch create a Doxpop account that I can log into?
No, Property Watch is a standalone service that does not create a regular Doxpop account. If you'd like to explore our other services, we invite you to sign up for a Doxpop account at our "Free" subscription level, which is designed to allow non-professionals access to public records. If you're interested, you can do that using the "Subscribe Now" link in the upper left corner of: https://www.doxpop.com.
Can Doxpop tell me if a document is fraudulent or affects me adversely?
No, We are not attorneys or title professionals. We can't offer legal advice. What we can do is alert you to the document filing and, if you ask, provide some details about what appears on the document. In most cases, you'll recognize it as a legitimate document. If you don't recognize the document, you should investigate. If you call or email our support team, we can help you by providing some of the details about the document. If you are still puzzled about the document after learning those details, then we recommend you consult with someone who is qualified to render an opinion about if or how the document affects your property.
I got notice from Doxpop about my neighbor's property transactions. Why?
If you live outside of an incorporated area such as a city or town, your "short legal description" is based on section, township and range. It is common for several people to own property in the same section. That means we'll send you an alert when a document is filed that references the same section. If you recognize the name of one of your neighbors on the document, that's the likely cause, and the document almost certainly doesn't affect you.
This is a situation where we know some false alerts will occur due to the limitations of the property indexing system... But we believe better safe than sorry, so we send the alert to be sure.
Why can't Doxpop use my address or parcel number to avoid false alerts in unincorporated areas?
In Indiana, Recorders are required to index documents by entering the names of the parties involved and the short legal description. A short legal description will be a subdivision & lot number in an incorporated area, or section, township & range in rural areas. Because address & parcel number are not required to file a document, we can't use those without a serious risk of missing a document that doesn't include that information. Even if it means we'll have to explain a few false alarms, we'd much rather err on the side of caution given the stakes involved.
Is property watch really free? How can you do this?
The Property Watch service is provided at no cost to the public in counties where the Recorders have partnered with Doxpop. Because the Recorders who choose Doxpop are careful stewards of the public trust, no tax money or other public funding was used to provide this service to your community. Doxpop funds this service solely using the revenue we generate by providing research to professionals who use our system to locate the documents they use in their business.
What about privacy? Does Doxpop share any of the information I provide while signing up?
Doxpop will never sell or transfer the information you enter during signup. Our revenue comes from providing legitimate services, so there's no need to engage in shady practices. If you're curious about our paid services, take a look at https://www.doxpop.com/prod/common/AboutUs.
