Grand jury looks to expose real estate fraud in Monterey County records

The good news is that foreclosures are way down, but the bad news according to the Monterey County Civil Grand Jury is that fraudulent land records in the form of ‘title transfers’ and ‘deeds of trust’ remain in the county recorders office.

This latest report noted that there is no system in place at the county level to ensure that records are legally signed. And they believe there are deeds and other county documents that have noted ‘robo-signers’ and other forms of fraud on them.

In their investigation the grand jury says, “Preliminary investigation of selected documents indicate that ‘robo-signing’ and other forms of fraud are still issues in Monterey County that should be addressed to ensure the accuracy and reliability of County land records. There are currently no systems in place at the County level to determine the validity of title transfers as authorized by legally recognized signatures.”

The report went on to say, “An audit of County land recordings by a real estate fraud expert would determine the extent of the problem in Monterey County.”

The grand jury recommends that the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office use its Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Trust Fund budget to immediately consult with a Certified Mortgage Fraud and Forensic Document Analyst to begin a land records audit.

As the audit continues they suggest the DA’s office, in cooperation with the Monterey County Recorder’s Office, immediately create a current list of known ‘robo-signers.’ Additionally they recommend the Recorder’s Office and the D.A. work together to identify means to catch fraudulent ‘robo-signed’ documents early and report those for prosecution.

If you’d like to see the whole report: Click here