The Better Business Bureau is warning Mississippi residents about a “Deed Processing Notice” out of Sioux Falls, S.D.

    A company that goes by the name of “Property Transfer Service” is sending letters to Mississippi homeowners and asking for a payment of $83 to provide them a copy of their property deed.  

    The letter implies that homeowners only have a short period of time to respond. While the mailing does mention that you can get a copy of your deed from your county recorder, and that homeowners are not obligated to pay the fee, some consumers have found the mailing confusing and have contacted the BBB’ s Mississippi office.

    “I received this letter in the mail myself and had to read it twice,” said John O’Hara, CEO of Better Business Bureau serving Mississippi. “We stress to consumers every day to know what you are signing up for. Upon contacting the county clerk’s office, we found the charge for this service is 25 cents a page and most deeds are two to five pages long.”

    “Transactions like a transfer of home ownership are part of the public record and easily available online,” O’Hara said. “As is the case for many records, there are businesses that review those public lists and have come up with ways to market services that may be impractical for most people. There’s nothing necessarily illegal or wrong with what they’re doing, but consumers should have all the facts before making a decision to use these services.”

    Contact BBB serving Mississippi if you suspect fraud or for additional tips and alerts at 601-398-1700 or 800-987-8280. Also visit the agency’s website at ms.bbb.org for information.