1. Establish What Has Happened to the Property
Someone may have listed your property without reaching a closing. Or a deed may already appear in the public record. Ask the identified broker or closing professional whether anyone signed a contract, executed a deed, disbursed funds, or submitted documents for recording.
| What you discover | Records to check | Immediate focus |
|---|---|---|
| An unauthorized listing | Advertisement, listing agreement, and supposed seller’s contact details | Preserve the listing and notify the brokerage |
| A pending closing | Contract, closing date, title company, and claimed signing authority | Request a pause and preservation of transaction records |
| A recorded deed | Deed image, recording details, and later deeds or mortgages | Obtain copies and review the competing ownership claim |
2. Notify the People Handling the Transaction
Contact the brokerage, closing attorney, and title company you can identify through independently verified contact details. Explain in writing that you did not authorize the sale and ask them to preserve their records. Keep their responses. A request to pause a closing is not a court order. If a closing is imminent or someone claims ownership, seek prompt real estate litigation advice about the available response.
3. Find the Recorded Documents
Obtain copies of the suspicious deed and related filings to see what the public record shows. The property’s location determines where to search, while the documents themselves identify the claimed transfer and any later interests that need review.
Search the Correct Recording Office
For Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, search ACRIS using the property’s borough, block, and lot. For Staten Island, use the Richmond County Clerk. Elsewhere in the state, contact the county clerk or applicable land-records office. Save the document images and recording details, and request certified copies of suspicious filings. An online search is a starting point; an indexing problem or recording delay may leave relevant documents out of the results.
Compare the Deed with Your Existing Records
Read the actual document rather than relying on the index entry. Compare the legal description, grantor and grantee, signature, execution date, acknowledgment, and recording information with your earlier deed. The grantor supposedly transfers ownership; the grantee receives it. Look for later transfers and mortgages too. A deed to an unfamiliar buyer followed by a mortgage raises additional questions about who now claims an interest.
4. Preserve Evidence of Ownership and Authorization
You do not need a complete explanation of the scheme before reporting it. Begin with what you have, keep original files, and make a timeline of the discovery and your communications. Distinguish what you know firsthand from what others have told you.
| Material | What it helps establish |
|---|---|
| Earlier deed and acquisition documents | Your claimed interest and ownership history |
| Suspicious deed, mortgage, or power of attorney | The disputed transfer and claimed signing authority |
| Listing, contract, and available closing records | Transaction participants, dates, and payment arrangements |
| Emails, messages, signature samples, and relevant travel records | Whether you participated in or authorized the transaction |
5. Request the Records You Do Not Have
Ask transaction participants to preserve identification submissions, signing records, notary information, and payment instructions. They may not release the complete file directly to you; some materials may require consent or legal process. Preserve screenshots of disappearing advertisements along with URLs and dates. A signature mismatch can support further investigation, but it does not establish forgery by itself.
6. Report the Suspected Fraud
Report suspected deed theft to the state Attorney General or the district attorney for the property’s location. NYC owners can also contact the Sheriff’s Office. For an internet-enabled scheme, submit an FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center complaint with available contact, transaction, and account details. Keep copies and report numbers. A federal fraud report concerns investigation of potential crimes; it does not decide ownership under state property law or automatically remove a recorded deed.
7. Why the Signature and Signing Authority Matter
A forged deed is void from its inception and conveys no title. Recording it does not make it valid, and an innocent buyer generally cannot obtain valid title through that forged deed. But a deed the owner knowingly signed, after someone induced the transfer through fraudulent representations, may instead be voidable. That distinction can change the analysis of later purchasers and lenders. If someone claimed to act under a power of attorney, the document and the scope of authority need separate examination.
8. Challenging a Recorded Transfer
A quiet title action may provide a way to resolve an adverse ownership claim. The review should identify the disputed deed, subsequent transfers or mortgages, parties whose interests require examination, and relief to request. The rule that a forged deed is void does not automatically clear the public record. Civil options may need attention while a criminal investigation remains open; a police report is not a substitute for evaluating those options.
A Notice of Pendency Does Not Prohibit a Sale
A properly filed notice of pendency gives legal notice of qualifying litigation affecting the property and can bind later purchasers or lenders to its outcome. It is not an injunction. A temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction requires a separate legal showing and court determination. Tell counsel about an approaching closing, threatened further transfer, or possession dispute so the need for interim relief can be assessed.
9. Check Your Existing Title Insurance Policy
Locate your owner’s policy and endorsements, and follow its claim-notice requirements. Whether title insurance covers a later impersonation scheme depends on the policy, including any protection against forgery occurring after the policy date. A lender’s policy protects the lender’s insured interest; do not assume it covers your loss. Ask your insurer for its coverage position and instructions before incurring defense costs or agreeing to a proposed settlement.
10. Bring a Focused Record to Legal Review
Bring your ownership papers, suspicious filings, timeline, transaction contacts, report numbers, and insurance policy to an independent attorney. Put any scheduled closing or court deadline at the top of the file. The first discussion should address missing evidence, competing claims, and whether immediate court action is appropriate. You do not need to identify the impersonator yourself before seeking that review.
28 Oct, 2026
