Between taxes, HOA fees and insurance, it can be difficult to remember everything as a homeowner.
Some businesses are counting on that, hoping you'll pay for their services without realizing you don't have to pay a dime.
The companies mail letters that are disguised as invoices or statements from the tax appraiser or some other government office. One homeowner sent us two she received after she closed on a new home in Missouri City. One letter was marked "recorded deed notice," in big bold type. It included details about her new home and asked her to pay $83 by April 15.
We showed the document to ReMax Metro real estate agent Monica McNeill.
"There are so many people that fall for it," said McNeill. "It's an official-looking paper."
McNeill said you will get a free copy of your recorded deed by mail four to six weeks after closing. If you lose it or need another one, she said you can go to the county courthouse or any title company.
"You just call them and say 'I've lost my deed and could you please reissue me one?'" McNeill said.
The letter came from a company based in California that likely receives property records from all over the U.S. to try to drum up business.
"They can dig anything up (in) any part of the country about any property in any state," said McNeill.
The company uses the same information to send out similar notices about homestead exemptions. The same homeowner who got the deed notice received one that asked her to "enclose $35 for document preparation payable to Homestead Recording Service."
But you can do it yourself for free by filling out the application on the Harris County Appraisal District's site.
McNeill sends the official application to her new home buyers with a warning about the others.
"'You're going to be getting this in the mail or that in the mail. Just throw it in the trash,'" she said.
Most of the time, the businesses that send the letters are not doing anything illegal. If you read the fine print, they say they are not affiliated with the state or any government agency. But if you miss that, most people think the fees are required to pay for documents they need.