TULSA, OKLA. (KTUL) — The Oklahoma Senate Local and County Government Committee has approved legislation aimed at preventing deed theft, a rising form of fraud that leaves homeowners vulnerable to financial devastation.
Senate Bill 961, authored by Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, seeks to ensure that original property owners are notified if a new deed is filed on their land.
The bill also establishes a process to involve local prosecutors in suspected fraud cases before fraudulent property transfers are finalized.
“There have been multiple cases statewide where criminals file a falsified deed on someone else’s land, sell the property to make a lot of money and then leave the original property owner on the hook for the new loan,” Bullard said.