BRADENTON, Fla. — The office of the Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller is warning residents about a scam letter regarding deed and property assessments that may be circulating the area.
Manatee County homeowners may have received a letter from companies proposing to sell a copy of their deed and property assessment profile. Being offered from $50 to $100 per deed, this form of communication periodically appears in Manatee County. The solicitations are often concentrated in a specific zip code or neighborhood, so that neighbors receive the letters at the same time.
“Your deed is a public record and is permanently maintained and preserved by the Manatee Clerk of Circuit Court and County Comptroller’s Office,” said Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller Angel Colonneso. “You do not have to pay a private company for a copy.”
Residents can access and print these documents for free any time on the public website at www.ManateeClerk.com. Certified copies, if needed, cost $1 per page and $2 for the certification. In most cases, the total cost ranges between $3 and $5.
Attached is the solicitation document that may be received by Manatee County homeowners. Contact the Clerk’s Public Access Department at 941-741-4040 or email clerkscopycenter@ManateeClerk.com for questions and assistance.
About the Manatee County Clerk’s Office
The Florida Constitution established the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller as a public trustee, independently elected to protect public funds and public records while executing the functions of Clerk of the Circuit Court, County Comptroller, Treasurer and Auditor, Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners and County Recorder. The Clerk oversees a staff of more than 275 people, responsible for performing nearly 1,000 constitutional or statutory functions or duties, representing the broadest and most diverse mantle of responsibility of any locally elected official. The citizens of Manatee County elect the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller to a term of four years. Currently, Angelina M. Colonneso serves as the Clerk of the Court. For more information, call 941-749-1800 or visit www.ManateeClerk.com.