Monitor Your Title with the Maricopa Title Alert Program

Facing a fast-moving real-estate market like the one in Phoenix and its surrounding communities, we often focus on listings, staging and neighborhood comps. But there’s one piece of the home-ownership puzzle that sometimes gets overlooked: Title Security.

I’m Anne Sheldon, your local Real Estate Broker in the Phoenix Metro Area, and I want to spotlight a free, proactive tool available to homeowners and investors in Maricopa County — the Maricopa Title Alert program — and why it matters now more than ever.

1. What is Maricopa Title Alert?

The Maricopa Title Alert service is offered by the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office. According to the official webpage:

“Maricopa Title Alert is a free program which monitors and alerts subscribers when documents are recorded with the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office under an individual and/or business’ name.” Some key features:

• It launched in June 2023.

• It tracks recorded documents under your name (or business name) in Maricopa County. 

• It’s free and unlimited names can be monitored under one account.

• It only monitors documents recorded after you sign up. 

• Notifications can be sent via email, text, or both. 

• If you have properties or business names in other Arizona counties, you’ll need to sign up for those counties’ alert programs, as the Maricopa service only covers Maricopa County. 

Why This Matters

When someone records a deed, lien or other document under your name or business name without your knowledge, it can be a sign of title fraud, identity theft or unauthorized encumbrance. Having advance notice (via an alert) gives you the chance to intervene quickly.

2. Real-Life Title Fraud: Why You Should Care

Here’s a recent case that underscores one of the risks homeowners face:

Two women were arrested for allegedly trying to sell a house in Scottsdale that they didn’t own. The scheme involved a changed title deed recorded under a stranger’s name without the rightful owner’s consent. 

Here’s what happened:

• The rightful homeowner in Scottsdale had owned the home for decades.

• He received notice that a deed transfer was recorded under someone else’s name. 

• Meanwhile, an attempt was made to list the property for sale. 

• Because someone had changed the locks and provided a lockbox for showings, the fraudsters were close to pulling this off. 

This isn’t just an isolated event, title fraud and deed-theft are growing concerns across Arizona and nationally. Having a monitoring tool like Maricopa Title Alert gives you an added layer of defensive visibility.

3. How Homeowners (and Investors) Can Use Title Alert

Here are practical steps, especially for you if you’re buying, selling, or holding property in the Phoenix area:

1. Sign up promptly — If you own a home now or will soon, register your name and any business/entity under which you hold property with Maricopa Title Alert.

2. Include business names, DBAs, or alternate spellings — The alert system lets you monitor multiple names, so include all variants. 

3. Monitor email/text alerts — When a document is recorded that touches one of your monitored names, you’ll receive a notice. Don’t ignore it, investigate promptly.

4. React quickly — If you get an alert and you don’t recognize the transaction: contact your title company, talk to your attorney (if you have one), and reach out to the Recorder’s Office to learn what was recorded and how to respond.

5. Maintain your contact info — The system requires you to keep your email or phone number current. If notifications fail, you lose that early warning. 

6. Document everything — If you suspect fraud, keep screenshots of alerts, records of calls/emails, and engage your title or Real Estate Professional.

7. For investment homes or absentee owners — It’s especially important if you own a property and aren’t physically present or if it’s a vacant/tenant-occupied property. Fraudsters often target such properties because owners may be less attentive.

4. My Advice for Phoenix Area Buyers & Sellers

Since I work with Buyers and Sellers in the Phoenix Metro Area (including Moon Valley, new-build markets, and investor clients), here’s how I tie Maricopa Title Alert into my service approach:

• I encourage my Sellers to sign up for Title Alert when prepping their home for market.  This helps them detect any stray liens or unauthorized documents while their home is in listing status.

• For Buyers, especially in new‐build or resale transactions, I remind them that after closing they should monitor their name (or entity) for any unexpected filings.

• If a client holds multiple properties (in Maricopa County and potentially other Arizona counties), I recommend setting up alert monitoring in all applicable counties.

• I also suggest treating Maricopa Title Alert like your digital smoke detector for your property ownership. It doesn’t replace title insurance or a good closing process, but it adds an extra layer of protection.

• For an Owner relocating, or an Investor owning out-of-state, the alert is a low-cost means of staying on top of your ownership record without being on-site.

Homeownership in the Phoenix area offers incredible value, lifestyle and opportunity. As a local Broker, one of my goals is to help you stay protected, not just during the transaction, but well after closing. The Maricopa Title Alert program is one of those smart, simple tools that adds peace of mind by keeping you in the loop about your recorded documents.

If you’d like help signing up for Maricopa Title Alert or want to review how your ownership structures (individual name, LLCs, trusts) might benefit from monitoring, I’d be happy to walk you through it.