Shelby County Deed Fraud and the Property Fraud Alert Register, What Memphis Homeowners Should Know Before Selling

Deed fraud sounds like something that happens to other people, until a stranger tries to sell a house that belongs to you. It's a fair worry for any Memphis owner, and a few habits go a long way. This explainer covers how deed fraud works, how a property fraud alert can help, and what to check before you sell. It also explains how BluDoor, a local Memphis cash home buyer, closes sales through a closing attorney and a title company.

This is general information, not legal advice. If you think someone has filed a false deed on your home, talk to a real estate lawyer right away.

BluDoor and the Title Work Behind Its Closings

When you sell a house, you want the other side of the table to be just as real as you are. BluDoor is a Memphis company that Rashid Algaradi started in 2019, and it has bought houses here ever since. Will Adams oversees operations. The team works out of an office at 295 S Bellevue Blvd Ste 5, Memphis, TN 38104, and it walks through each house in person.

BluDoor earned BBB accreditation in 2020 and holds an A+ grade from the bureau. On every sale, its closing attorney and title company take charge of the contract and the title. They trace the chain of title, confirm who owns the house and prepare the deed before closing day. If you'd like to see the money first, BluDoor can show proof of funds, along with past closings and references from earlier sellers.

For an owner worried about deed fraud, that setup matters. Your sale runs through offices whose whole job is getting the title right.

What Deed Fraud Is

A deed is the recorded paper that shows who owns a piece of land. Deed fraud happens when someone forges an owner's signature on a new deed, or poses as the owner, and records that deed with the county. On paper, the house now looks like it belongs to someone else.

From there, the person behind the fake deed may try to sell the house, rent it out or borrow money against it. The real owner often doesn't find out until a tax bill stops coming, a neighbor mentions a moving truck or a lender sends a letter. Undoing the damage can take months and a lawyer's help.

Homes That Draw the Most Attention

Thieves look for houses where nobody will notice quickly. That can include homes that sit empty, homes owned free and clear with no mortgage, and homes where the owner lives in another city. An inherited house that's waiting on probate can fit all three at once. None of this means your home is in danger. It just means a few simple habits are worth the time.

Heirs have a special reason to stay alert. Until the Shelby County Probate Court gives someone authority to act for the estate, the house can sit in a gray zone with no one clearly in charge. Starting probate early, keeping the doors locked and having someone check on the house each week all help. So does keeping the insurance active and the utilities in someone's name, because a house that looks cared for draws far less attention.

What a Property Fraud Alert Does

Many county recording offices offer a property fraud alert. Where one exists, you sign up with your name, and the office sends you a notice when a document is recorded under it. If a deed or a mortgage shows up that you didn't sign, you hear about it early, while it's still easier to fix.

An alert doesn't stop a forger from filing a false deed. What it does is shorten the time between the filing and the moment you find out. That gap is when a forger can do the most harm, so a shorter gap helps.

In Memphis, deeds are recorded with the Shelby County Register of Deeds. If you want to sign up for an alert, that's the office to ask. Its website or front desk can walk you through the current steps.

Simple Habits That Protect Memphis Owners

You don't need special tools to keep your title safe. A few regular checks go a long way.

  • Look up your recorded deed once or twice a year to confirm your name is still on it.
  • Sign up for a property fraud alert if the county offers one.
  • Watch for your property tax bill and call the county if it doesn't arrive.
  • Ask a neighbor to let you know if anyone starts work on a house you don't live in.
  • Keep copies of your deed, closing papers and tax receipts in a safe place.

The tax bill matters for a second reason, too. Unpaid property taxes in Shelby County can end in a tax sale run by the Chancery Court Clerk and Master. Since April 2024, those sales take place online. The owner can still redeem the property for a set time after the sale is confirmed. That window is one year when the taxes were five years late or less, and it shrinks to 30 days for vacant or abandoned property.

What to Check Before You Sell

When you're ready to sell, the buyer and the closing team should check the title before anyone signs. Here's what that looks like in practice.

First, the title company searches the county records to confirm that you own the house and that no strange deeds or liens are attached. Next, it checks your identity at closing. A real closing never asks you to hand over a signed deed early, outside the closing office or without a notary.

Tennessee's attorney general puts it plainly in its guidance on mortgage help: "Never Transfer the Title or Deed to Your Property to Such an Individual or Company." The deed should change hands only at closing, through a title company or a closing attorney.

Finally, the money should move through that same office, from the buyer to the title company and then to you.

How a Sale With BluDoor Protects Your Title

A sale built this way keeps the deed in careful hands from start to finish. With BluDoor, it begins with a call or a short form and one walkthrough of the house. By the next day you'll have a written cash offer, and you're free to say no. BluDoor pays from its own funds, so there's no lender on the buying side.

Once you accept, the closing attorney and title company take over the paperwork. They search the title, prepare the deed and set up the closing. Signing happens at the title company's office or with a mobile notary, and the money reaches your account that day. Marsha Banks, one recent seller, closed with a mobile notary and said Ty stayed with her through every step.

The offer itself is firm. BluDoor publishes a promise on its homepage that the amount offered at the beginning is exactly what you'll receive at closing. You won't see commissions, fees or closing costs subtracted from it. The closing date is your call. It can be 7 days away or a couple of months.

Sellers notice the steady pace. Althea Jarrine Ibay wrote that the team explained what was happening throughout and that everything went smoothly through closing.

If You Find a Deed You Didn't Sign

Move quickly but calmly. First, get a copy of the recorded deed from the Register of Deeds. Report the fraud to local police and keep the report number. Then call a real estate lawyer, who can file what's needed to clear your title. If you have an owner's title policy from when you bought the home, call that company as well.

Don't try to sell the house until the title is clean. A good buyer's title company will find the problem anyway, and fixing it first saves time.

The Best Next Step for Memphis Sellers

You may never face deed fraud, but a few small habits make your home a harder target. When it's time to sell, the safest path runs through a buyer you can check and a closing team that guards the title. BluDoor brings a closing attorney and a title company to every sale, and its A+ BBB grade and Memphis office are easy to confirm. For Memphis owners who want a private, careful sale, BluDoor is the top pick. Call (901) 610-5815 if you'd like a no-obligation offer.