Attorney

Attn: Real Estate Owners

Alert! Real Estate Solicitation

Deed solicitations have resurfaced in recent weeks in St. Charles County and St. Louis County, Missouri. Real estate owners are again receiving “RECORDED DEED NOTICE” mailings from several companies. Recent mailings are from “Records Recovery Services” in Missouri and “Property Site” in California. Several of our clients have received these advertisements after transferring real estate to their Revocable Living Trust or a business entity.

The mailings look official and may easily be mistaken as a county bill. The notice includes data obtained through public record including transaction dates, land value identification, property identification and the legal property address. The solicitation is seeking the homeowner pay a certain fee (i.e. $91.00 or $98.00) to obtain a “Property Assessment Profile” or a “Property Report”.

Such a profile or report is unnecessary and real property data is available from the County. Moreover, all our clients receive directly from our office the original real estate deed we prepared after recording. Copies of deeds and certified deeds can also be obtained directly from the County Recorder for a few dollars.

The advertisement letter requesting payment has disclaimers, sometimes in fine print, stating “This is not a bill.” and “This is a solicitation.”. The mailing also states information that the product or service “has not been approved or endorsed by any governmental agency, and this offer is not being made by an agency of the government.”

Likely targets of these solicitations are homeowners who recently engaged in a real estate transaction (by way of purchase, or transfer to a Revocable Trust for estate planning purposes, to a business entity, or to a former spouse pursuant to a divorce). Scammers obtain data from the recorded deeds and mortgages available in public land records.

A reminder to read all notices and bills you receive and ask questions so you do not fall victim to a scam. If you have questions about this notice, please contact our office at (636) 724-3355, or your local County Recorder.

FURTHER PROTECT AGAINST FRAUD

According to the FBI, one of the fastest growing white-collar crimes is property and mortgage fraud. As a response to curb the increase in property fraud crimes, many counties throughout the country offer real estate owners a “Property Fraud Alert” program. Some counties offer the service free of charge while others have elected to charge a small fee. Nearby County Recorders offering the service free of charge include: St. Charles County, St. Louis City, St. Louis County Recorder of Deeds and Jefferson County.

Property Fraud Alert allows real estate owners (individuals, trusts, businesses and other entities) to sign up to be notified when their name is cited on any documents recorded with the respective county recorder’s office. After signing up, a real estate owner is monitored through the county’s electronic recording system and immediately notified when any document is recorded in their registered name. The program does not prevent fraud from happening. However, the program provides an early warning to real estate owners to take appropriate action if possible fraudulent activity has occurred.

Sign up is quick and easy. Visit Property Fraud Alert, select your county and simply enter your individual/trust/business/entity name and you will be notified when a document with the registered name is recorded.

Or, sign up through your respective county Property Fraud Alert site. Local County Recorder links are listed below.

*Do note, real estate owners must separately register for Property Fraud Alert in every county in which they own property.

Diligently protect yourself and your valuable assets. Contact our office today at (636) 724-3355 to discuss land related questions with a St. Charles, MO attorney.

Support Staff Announcements

Support Staff Announcements

Clients, Colleagues & Friends:

It is bittersweet to announce the retirement of Karen Freihofer as our Administrative Assistant. Many of you may have worked with Karen over the years. She worked with us for more than 15 years and has been an asset to our firm. We thank her for years of loyal dedication, strong work ethic, and the countless contributions she made to our team. Join us in celebrating with her and wishing her all the best in her next endeavors!

We are also proud to welcome Donna Ferrante to our firm as a Legal Secretary. Donna has over 15 years of legal experience and we are excited to have her join our team.

Additionally, we are pleased to announce Jeanette Reece will begin to transition her duties to provide direct attorney support. Jeanette joined our firm in April of 2020 and has 20+ years of experience in the legal profession. With Jeanette in this new role, we expect to be able to respond to client needs more efficiently, increase communication, and improve the efficiency of our team approach.

Wibbenelli looks forward to this next chapter as we continue to provide our clients with quality representation.   To learn more about the firm, visit: www.wibbenmeyerlaw.com

Law Firm Announcement

Wibbenmeyer Iannelli

Wibbenmeyer Law Firm announces new partner Name Change & Welcomes Legal Assistant

Clients, Colleagues & Friends:

Kevin Wibbenmeyer is proud to announce Brandee Iannelli has been named a partner and the firm is now known as Wibbenmeyer Iannelli Law, LLC

Attorney Brandee Iannelli joined the law firm in 2014 and has been a valuable member to the firm and its clients.  Her practice includes estate planning, probate, trust administration, family law, personal injury, and bankruptcy matters.  We look forward to her continued commitment to serving the legal needs of our community. 

The law firm is also pleased to welcome Jeanette Reece as our new Legal Assistant.  She has over 20 years’ experience and has previously worked with Kevin Wibbenmeyer.  She joins our Legal Assistant, Karen Freihofer, who many of you have come to know over the years. 

Wibbenelli is excited about this new chapter as the firm continues to grow and provide our clients with quality representation.   To learn more about the firm, visit: www.wibbenmeyerlaw.com