Three bills aimed at stopping deed fraud in New Jersey head to the Assembly Housing Committee on Monday, Oct. 5.

The measures, first reported by NJ21st, follow a September 2026 investigation by the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation that documented how criminals forge deeds to steal homes from unsuspecting owners. The SCI report was submitted to Gov. Mikie Sherrill and the Legislature.

What the bills would do

Bill A2072 would require county clerks to notify property owners whenever a deed is filed on their property. It would also require sworn statements in connection with property transfers.

Bill A5289 would let courts pause legal proceedings when an active fraud investigation involves the title to, or financing of, a property, according to the SCI report. That provision addresses a documented problem: a Jersey City quiet-title case filed in August 2020 was not resolved until May 2026, when the state Supreme Court declined to hear it.

Bill A4017 would require limited liability companies to disclose their owners when filing a deed for certain residential properties. As of Oct. 4, that bill had not yet been assigned to the Housing Committee. The SCI report flagged LLCs used to hide the identities of people behind property transactions as "a recognized risk indicator."

Why it matters locally

Union County property owners already have access to a free Property Fraud Alert system through the county clerk's office. The system sends email, text, or phone alerts when a document is recorded under a registered name. Owners can sign up online or call 1-800-728-3858.

But the SCI found that alert systems in 19 of New Jersey's 21 counties, including Union County's, trigger only after a document has been recorded. They "play no preventative role," the report stated.

The proposed legislation would go further by requiring notification at the time of filing and giving courts tools to freeze proceedings while fraud is investigated.

Forged deeds, stolen equity

The SCI report described a Gloucester County case in which a deceased homeowner's property was transferred for $1 through a forged quitclaim deed and fake notarization. The owner's daughter, who served as executor of the estate, had never authorized the transfer. Tenants were already leasing the home through a shell company posing as landlord.

Jon Dovidio, vice president of business development at EquityProtect, told Realtor.com in a Sept. 29 analysis that the scheme goes beyond the paperwork. "The deed wasn't the prize; the money was," Dovidio said.

In a 2025 national survey by the American Land Title Association, 59% of title firms said they encountered at least one seller-impersonation fraud attempt that year. That share more than doubled from the previous survey. More than two-thirds identified mortgage-free properties as common targets, and more than half pointed to homes tied to recently deceased owners.

What happens next

The Housing Committee hearing will determine whether the bills advance. No committee vote has been announced. The Uniform Law Commission is also drafting a model Deed Fraud Act at the national level, with options including voluntary title freezes and stronger identity checks for notaries.