A Pittsburgh real estate agent says she has stumbled onto a sprawling pattern of allegedly fraudulent deed recordings across Allegheny County, with homes quietly transferred into other people’s names. Many owners only found out their properties had been reassigned when they went to refinance or when a routine title search suddenly pulled up a stranger as the owner. The reports stretch across city neighborhoods, with a noticeable cluster in the South Side.
According to WPXI, 11 Investigates uncovered dozens of deeds that were allegedly signed over into the names of people with criminal records, while most of the legitimate homeowners had no clue the documents even existed. Attorney Greg Gerlach told the station, “I’ve never seen anything of this magnitude.”
Realtor’s probe finds 35 suspect filings
Real estate agent Kelsey Green told KDKA she has tracked roughly 35 deed recordings that she believes are suspicious, all sparked by a client who discovered during a refinance attempt that their deed had been transferred without their knowledge. Green said many of the documents featured nearly identical handwriting and appeared to move properties into various LLCs, and she has turned her research over to the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office.
How to check your deed right now
Homeowners can search recorded deeds and request certified copies through the county’s public system. The Allegheny County Recorder of Deeds outlines what a properly recorded deed must include and explains how to ask for corrections or obtain copies.
Legal remedies and what prosecutors say
The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Fraud Squad is urging residents to report anything that looks suspicious in the property records and offers specific guidance for victims, especially older homeowners. Legal guides note that a corrective deed can resolve clerical mistakes if everyone involved cooperates, but when outright fraud clouds the title, a court action to “quiet title” is often needed to clean up ownership. See US Title Records for an overview of how those cases typically move forward.
If you discover a recorded transfer that you did not sign, print out the document, contact the Recorder’s office and the District Attorney’s Fraud Squad, and reach out to your title company or an attorney to protect your stake in the property. WPXI’s 11 Investigates is scheduled to air a detailed segment at 6 p.m. that walks through how the alleged scheme surfaced and what steps homeowners can take next.
