A Nassau County Clerk letter is how one Lakeview homeowner learned that papers to transfer her house had been filed. Police say the 78-year-old was told that "paperwork to transfer ownership of her house had been received," and that her signature on it had been forged19.
That letter comes from a 2019 New York law. It is one of three free ways the Clerk keeps you informed, along with an online deed search and an email alert.
This guide is for Nassau County, New York, not the Florida county with the same name and its own Clerk29. Our deed theft explainer covers how these schemes work anywhere.
What New York laws protect a Nassau County deed?
Three state laws do most of the work, passed in 2019, 2023 and 2024. They guard your deed, the signed document that hands a home to a new owner, and your title, your legal right to own it. A fourth bill, letting victims sue deed thieves for triple damages, has not passed.
- Dec. 12, 2019Mailed notice becomes law. Chapter 641 amends Real Property Law § 291. Clerks must mail the owner of record a notice when a home's deed is recorded, meaning filed in the public record, and the filer pays3,4.
- March 11, 2020Nassau starts mailing. The Clerk applies the rule to residential deeds and charges the filer $102.
- Dec. 14, 2023Owners get help in court. A law signed Nov. 14, 2023, can pause eviction and ownership cases during a deed theft investigation. Prosecutors can also file a notice of pendency, a public warning that a lawsuit may affect who owns a home5.
- July 19, 2024Deed theft becomes a crime. Stealing a deed is now grand larceny. The same law creates the transfer on death deed6,7.
- June 5, 2026A right to sue stalls. Senate bill S7721-A would let victims collect triple damages and lawyer fees from a deed thief. It went to the Senate Rules Committee and is not law8.
Sources: New York State Senate3,4,5,7,8, Nassau County Clerk2, New York Attorney General6.
What does the Clerk's letter say?
It tells you that documents were filed to change who owns your home, and it names the new owner. It goes to the owner of record, meaning the owner named in the county's records. The law sets its heading in bold type: "Notice of Sale or Transfer of Ownership of Your Residential Property"3.
It also says: "If you believe you are a victim of a crime related to this recording, contact your local law enforcement agency"3. The $10 "Deed Notification" line on the Clerk's fee sheet pays for the mailing13.
Under the same law, a deed's validity doesn't depend on whether the letter was mailed or received3. So treat the letter as a backup, not your only warning.
What did the 2024 law make a crime?
Taking someone's deed is now grand larceny, a felony theft charge, whatever the home is worth. Before July 19, 2024, the Attorney General says, deed theft by itself was not a crime in this state6.
Prosecutors used other charges, such as offering a false instrument for filing. Those charges show up in the Nassau cases below. The law is the same statewide, so our New York City deed theft guide lists each felony level and the time limits for charges.
How can a Nassau owner fight a fake deed in court?
Through a civil case, the criminal case, or both, and the 2023 law tilts each toward the real owner. In a quiet title action, you ask a judge to rule on who owns the home.
- A conviction shifts the burden. In a later civil case, a deed theft conviction creates a presumption that the transfer was fraudulent5.
- An eviction can wait. If someone holding a suspect deed tries to evict you, the Attorney General says you can ask the judge for a 90-day stay9. That gives you time to bring the ownership fight to the right court.
- Prosecutors can cancel deeds. After a conviction, the district attorney or the Attorney General can ask the court to void the forged deed5. Two Nassau deeds were voided this way in 2023 (see the cases below).
- A right to sue the thief for triple damages is still only a bill, S7721-A8.
Court papers in a Nassau title case are filed with the same office that keeps your deed. The County Clerk is also the clerk of the State Supreme and County Courts1.
How do I search Nassau County Clerk deed records?
Use the Clerk's free online search, which shows deeds, mortgages, liens (debts claimed against a property) and other recorded papers. Searching costs nothing. Page images go back to February 22, 1994, and downloads cost $0.65 a page10.
Nassau has no separate recorder of deeds. The County Clerk records deeds and keeps the official index of who owns property in the county1.
- Find your section, block and lot. These three numbers mark your parcel on the county tax map, and they are printed on your property tax bill11.
- Open the Clerk's search. Go to i2f.uslandrecords.com/NY/Nassau/D/Default.aspx, the official records site the Clerk runs with US Land Records10,17.
- Search by name or by parcel. Type the owner's last name, or open the "Search Criteria" menu to search by section, block and lot.
- Read the newest entries first. Look for deeds, mortgages or powers of attorney you didn't sign. Check your name and your parcel, because the Clerk does not verify the section, block and lot numbers that filers enter12.
- Order a certified copy if you need proof. A certified copy counts the same as the original, and only the Clerk's Office issues one10,18. The Clerk charges $10, including a $5 search fee, in person in Mineola or by mail11.
The search site still shows office hours of 9:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. on its front page. The Clerk's own pages list 9 a.m. to 4:30 or 4:45 p.m., depending on the counter, so call before you go11,27.
Looking up a home by street address? The Department of Assessment's Land Records Viewer finds a parcel by address, but its section, block and lot format can differ from the Clerk's14. The Clerk's staff won't give out ownership details by phone or email26.
How do I sign up for the Nassau County property fraud alert?
Register for free on the Clerk's Property Fraud Alert site with your email and your name, your property's Town, Section, Block and Lot, or both. When a matching document is recorded, you "will generally receive an email alert within a few days," the Clerk's brochure says17.
- Start on the county's sign-up page. Go to nassaucountyny.gov/clerk/pfa, or straight to the registration site, and click "Register Now"15,16.
- Accept the terms, then give an email address and a phone number. Alerts go to that email, so use one you check often16,17.
- Add what to watch. Enter people's first and last names, a business name, or the property's Town, Section, Block and Lot16. The Clerk suggests the parcel numbers, so you don't get alerts when someone with your name files papers17.
- Review the summary and press Finish. You never have to sign up again. Alerts stop only if you use the unsubscribe link in the confirmation email16.
- Add your family. Co-owners, spouses and family members can each get their own alerts, and you can register every Nassau property you own17.
What sets off an alert: deeds or ownership transfers, mortgages, satisfactions of mortgages, liens, judgments and powers of attorney17. A satisfaction records that a loan is paid off, and a power of attorney lets someone sign for you. Some alerts will be routine, so read the details, and call the Clerk at 516-571-2664 if something looks wrong17.
The brochure is plain about the limit. The alert "cannot prevent fraudulent documents from being filed," but it tells you soon after one is17.
How is the alert different from the Clerk's letter?
The letter is automatic but covers only deeds to homes. The alert takes a sign-up but watches more kinds of papers.
| Mailed notice (state law) | Property Fraud Alert | |
|---|---|---|
| Sign-up | None. It goes to the owner of record | Yes, free, online |
| Watches | Deeds to residential property | Deeds, mortgages, satisfactions, liens, judgments and powers of attorney with your name or parcel |
| Arrives | By mail, after the deed is recorded | By email, generally within a few days |
| Who pays | The person filing the deed ($10) | No one |
Sources: Real Property Law § 2913, Nassau County Clerk2,13,17.
Has deed theft happened in Nassau County?
Yes, though few cases become public. Reported cases since 2019 involve homes in Lakeview, West Hempstead and Westbury. One ended in guilty pleas; the other two are charges only.
"Since then, we have undone the criminal handiwork of scammers and con artists and pioneered the use of a state statute to return stolen properties to their rightful owners."
Heirs' homes draw thieves. The Attorney General says deed thieves often pick homes where the owner died years ago and the heirs never transferred the title9.
Since July 19, 2024, a transfer on death deed lets you name who inherits your home. It must be filed with the county clerk before the owner dies9, and the Clerk's search lists it as its own document type10. Ask a lawyer whether it fits your family.
Who do I call about a suspicious deed in Nassau County?
Call the County Clerk first to see exactly what was filed, then report it to the police or the District Attorney. Free legal help is open to owners who qualify.
| Who | Why call | How to reach them |
|---|---|---|
| Nassau County Clerk | See what was filed, get certified copies, ask about the alert | 516-571-2664 (land records) or 516-571-2660. 240 Old Country Road, Mineola. Weekdays from 9 a.m.; closing times vary by counter |
| Nassau County Police, Fraud and Forgery | Report a forged deed | Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-8477 (you can stay anonymous), or 911 in an emergency |
| Nassau County District Attorney | File a criminal complaint | Email the complaint form to info@nassauda.org, or call 516-571-3505 for a form by mail |
| New York Attorney General | Deed theft complaints anywhere in the state | 1-800-771-7755 or deedtheft@ag.ny.gov |
| Free legal help | A lawyer for the ownership fight | Legal Services of Long Island in Hempstead, 516-292-8100 (income limits apply). Homeowner Protection Program, 855-466-3456 |
Sources: Nassau County Clerk17,27,28, LI Herald19, Nassau County District Attorney24, New York Attorney General6, Legal Services of Long Island25.
We checked these numbers and hours on each office's own website on October 25, 2026, but did not call them.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the Nassau County Clerk?
Maureen O'Connell is the Nassau County Clerk. Her office, created by the New York State Constitution, is clerk of the Supreme and County Courts and records deeds for Nassau County at 240 Old Country Road in Mineola.
How do I get a copy of my deed in Nassau County, NY?
A certified copy from the Clerk costs $10, including a $5 search fee, in person in Mineola or by mail to Room B-1. You'll need the section, block and lot from your tax bill. For a plain copy, download it from the online search for $0.65 a page.
How to find out who owns a property in Nassau County, NY?
Search the owner's name or the section, block and lot in the Clerk's online records, or ask in Room B-1. The Department of Assessment's Land Records Viewer finds a parcel by street address. The Clerk won't give ownership details by phone or email.
How much does it cost to record a deed in Nassau County, NY?
The Clerk's fee sheet, revised July 2020, lists a $40 recording fee, $300 for each tax-map block, $5 a page and $5 for the cover page the Clerk adds. A home deed adds $125 for the state's RP-5217 transfer report, $5 for the transfer tax form, the $10 deed notification fee and transfer tax of $4 per $1,000. Check the Clerk's website for newer fees before you file.
Is a property fraud alert legitimate?
Nassau's is. It's a free service of the Nassau County Clerk, sent through its partner US Land Records, and you reach it from the county's website. The Clerk's brochure says you don't have to pay, download an app or give your details to a business that will sell them.
What to do if someone steals your deed?
Get a copy of what was filed from the County Clerk, then report it to Nassau police or the District Attorney. Talk to a lawyer about a quiet title case; Legal Services of Long Island and the Homeowner Protection Program help people who can't afford one. Our fraudulent deed guide lists every step.
Look up your parcel, then turn on the free alert
Find your section, block and lot on your tax bill, check your record in the Clerk's search, and register for the Property Fraud Alert. Then decide whether you also want buyers and lenders asked to check with you first.
Register for the Nassau alertHow Still My Home worksOwn a home outside Nassau too? Our map of free county fraud alerts shows which counties run a program like this one.
Sources
- Welcome from County Clerk Maureen O'Connell, Nassau County Clerk, checked October 25, 2026
- Current Operating Procedures, Nassau County Clerk, checked October 25, 2026
- Real Property Law § 291, recording of conveyances, New York State Senate, checked October 25, 2026
- Assembly Bill A440A, notice of conveyance to owners of residential property, New York State Senate, signed December 12, 2019 (chapter 641)
- Senate Bill S6577, theft of real property, New York State Senate, signed November 14, 2023 (chapter 630)
- Attorney General James announces new protections against deed theft, Office of the New York Attorney General, July 19, 2024
- Senate Bill S8306C, Part O, heirs property protection and deed theft prevention act of 2024, New York State Senate, signed April 20, 2024
- Senate Bill S7721A, private right of action for deed theft, New York State Senate, status checked October 25, 2026
- Deed theft, Office of the New York Attorney General, checked October 25, 2026
- Nassau County Land Records official records search, Nassau County Clerk and US Land Records, checked October 25, 2026
- Mortgages and Deeds, Nassau County Clerk, checked October 25, 2026
- Land Recording Guide, Nassau County Clerk, revised October 2022
- Land Recording Fees, Nassau County Clerk, revised July 2020
- Land Records Viewer, Nassau County Department of Assessment, checked October 25, 2026
- Property Fraud Alert Sign Up, Nassau County Clerk, checked October 25, 2026
- Property Fraud Alert registration site, Nassau County Clerk and Avenu Insights and Analytics, checked October 25, 2026
- Property Fraud Alert brochure, Nassau County Clerk, revised March 2026
- Nassau County Clerk warns of deed scam, Nassau County Clerk, August 12, 2014
- Nassau County woman almost scammed out of her home, LI Herald, April 16, 2023
- Woman allegedly forged deed to steal neighbor's Long Island home. She says it was a gift, Pei-Sze Cheng, NBC New York, April 7, 2023
- Con men, corporation plead guilty in deed fraud scheme to steal houses in Queens, Nassau, Queens County District Attorney, December 27, 2023
- Baldwin woman charged in alleged deed theft, rental fraud scheme, LI Herald, July 31, 2026
- Baldwin woman accused of stealing elderly man's home deed has been arrested for this before, Greater Long Island, August 3, 2026
- File a Complaint, Nassau County District Attorney, checked October 25, 2026
- Locations, Legal Services of Long Island, checked October 25, 2026
- County Clerk FAQs, Nassau County Clerk, checked October 25, 2026
- Hours of Operation, Nassau County Clerk, checked October 25, 2026
- Contact Us, Nassau County Clerk, checked October 25, 2026
- Nassau County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, Nassau County, Florida, checked October 25, 2026
