"If you get a letter suggesting that you can obtain a copy of your deed for a fee from any other agency other than the Nassau County Clerk's Office, don't call them, call us," stated Nassau County Clerk Maureen O'Connell. The clerk was recently alerted to a mailing sent to homeowners urging them to obtain certified copies of their deeds that are recorded in the County Clerk's Office.

"I want to assure the public that all deeds recorded in this office, once fully processed, are returned to either the homeowner or the homeowner's attorney, without any fee," O'Connell said. "I'm happy to say that we are returning original deed documents to the homeowner in about three weeks from the time they are recorded. If, after three weeks, you have not received your documents, contact your attorney to see if he has received them."

"That being said, if a homeowner wants a copy of their deed, the average cost would be $1.95. This is based on $.65 per page with a minimum of two pages; however, most deeds contain three pages," continued the clerk. "There are times when a certified copy of a deed is needed, but the fee for that document would be $5.20."

Copies of documents recorded at the County Clerk's Office, whether certified or not, can be easily obtained by coming in to the office or submitting a request by mail. If requesting a copy by mail, please include the section, block and lot information of your property, easily located on your tax bills, together with a check payable to the "Nassau County Clerk" for the appropriate fee and send your request to: Office of the Nassau County Clerk, 240 Old Country Road - Lower Level, Mineola, NY 11501.

"Regrettably, O'Connell said, the solicitation letter homeowners are receiving indicate that they can obtain a 'certified' copy of their deed for $85 plus $4.50 for postage and handling, when it only costs $5.20 from the clerk's office." "These fees are outlandish," said O'Connell. "Please don't order any of your records from any other agency other than the County Clerk's Office or you will be paying too much."