Property fraud occurs when someone files a document in the public record, such as a deed, without the property owner’s knowledge or consent.
Fraudulent filings can:
Be proactive and vigilant:
If you believe a fraudulent document has been recorded:
Legal Disclaimer: The Harris County Clerk’s Office provides the Property Alert System (PAS) as an informational resource only. The PAS allows the public to receive notifications when real property instruments associated with the monitored name(s) are recorded. The PAS may be used to identify possible fraudulent or unlawful recorded instruments. The PAS, however, does not prevent the recording of a real property instrument. In providing the PAS to the public, Harris County and the Harris County Clerk’s Office make no representation, guarantee, or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided by the PAS. Notifications by the PAS only match a user’s name to other real property instruments recorded with the same name. They do not confirm that a real property instrument belongs to the user. Users of the PAS shall be responsible for assessing the accuracy and reliability of information provided by the PAS. The information provided by the PAS shall not be considered legal or professional advice. Users of the PAS system shall be responsible for determining their legal rights and obligations.
The Harris County Clerk’s Office is pleased to introduce the Property Alert System (PAS).
Deed fraud is a growing concern for Harris County residents, and we are committed to helping protect your property. That is why we have created PAS, a free, in-house alert system designed to notify homeowners of any new real property documents filed under their name.
How it works:
By signing up, you are taking a proactive step to safeguard your property and joining a collective effort to protect ownership rights across Harris County.
Fighting fraud is a team effort, and the County Clerk’s Office is excited to be on your team.
Verification: When registering, please ensure that you include all variations of your name. For example, if your property documents list you as William John Smith, W. J. Smith, or Bill Smith, you should enter each variation. Because PAS is a name-matching system, you may receive alerts for any “William Smith” recording a document. If you need assistance accessing public records or locating a recorded document, please contact the County Clerk’s Office at 713-274-6390 or visit one of our eleven Harris County Clerk’s Office locations. The County Clerk’s Office cannot provide legal advice or determine ownership rights.
Proactive Vigilance: We recommend that you regularly monitor your property records. This is another proactive step in staying aware of changes to your property. Click the information below for a records search guide and helpful video to assist you.
There is no limit on the number of names you can monitor. Keep in mind that the Property Alert System is only matching names and not property addresses, so you may receive notifications for properties that belong to individuals that have the same name as yours.
Yes, you will be able to modify the names you want to receive notifications about.
Yes, you will be able to pause/disable notifications for each name you are monitoring.
The email notification will contain a link to the Property Alert System. On this page, you will have link(s) to review unofficial watermarked copies of the document(s).
The Property Alert System strives to notify subscribers as soon as possible. Notification emails are sent within 1 – 2 business day after filing.
Yes, you will have access to a history log for each monitored name.
The Property Alert System will do an exact match for last name or business name, and a starts-with match for the first name. For example, if you monitor "Wil Davis" then you will receive notifications for documents with "Wil Davis", "Wilson Davis", or "William Davis" but not for names like "Wil Davison" nor "Bill Davis".
The Property Alert System is provided as a free service to the public.
Please contact the Public Records Department at (713) 274-6390 or ccoinfoFM@cco.hctx.net
The Property Alert System is only matching names, so this can occur if there are other individuals with the same name as yours.
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