***Important Notice*** 

Recorder Warns to be Wary of Mail Offers for Copies of Deeds 

Once again another company has cropped up trying to take advantage of Stone County citizens. Stone County Recorder of Deeds Amy Larson urges county residents to be wary of mail offers to provide copies of legal documents. 

The Recorders’ Association of Missouri notified Recorders about a private company’s offer to obtain copies of property deeds that charge home owners an excessive fee. The Fulton, Missouri, based company, Record Retrieval, has mailed the offer to residents of Missouri’s most populated counties. The Recorders’ Association of Missouri has previously contacted the Missouri Attorney General’s office regarding these type of offers from companies. 

Property owners in these areas have received a letter offering an official certified copy of their deed for $87.00 or more. These companies simply contact our office to obtain the document and then turn around and mail it to the homeowner while charging them the higher fees. 

Larson said most property owners obtained their original property deed when their property was purchased. 

In addition, this company’s offer costs significantly more than obtaining certified property deeds directly from the Stone County Recorder’s Office. Our fees are $2 for the first page, plus $1 per additional page and $1 for the certification.. This is a per document fee. Most property deeds are no more than one or two pages long which usually will cost less than $5.00.

 “I am concerned about companies trying to take advantage of our citizens by not being truthful. If anyone receives one of these letters, I would urge them to ignore it and contact our office.”

 For information or to obtain a copy of your property deed, you may visit the Stone County Recorder’s Office in the Stone County Recorder of Deeds at 108A East Fourth Street, Galena, MO or call the office at (417) 357-6362.