Updated on July 24, 2025
Title Theft in California: How to Protect Your Property
Title theft is a rising form of theft in California. Title theft occurs when criminals forge signatures and transfer ownership without the true owner’s consent. As more homeowners fall victim to this type of white collar crime, understanding how this happens and what to do if it does is very important for protection as well as providing guidance on remedies. This guide outlines how title theft works, the warning signs to watch for, and what legal options are available.
What is Title Theft?
Title theft is no longer just a theoretical threat; it is happening across California, and it is becoming more and more common. Criminals are forging signatures, impersonating property owners, and transferring title without consent. They often do this to quickly resell the property they have stolen and reap an unwarranted financial windfall for selling a property or borrowing against a property that they never even owned.d
To better understand what “title” refers to in real estate, read our glossary definition
How Title Theft Happens
Title theft typically involves forged documents, false identification, and fraudulent notarizations. A criminal may illegally transfer the title of your property into their name (or that of a shell company), and then attempt to:
- Sell the property
- Take out loans against it
- Lease it to unsuspecting tenants
Common methods include:
- Forging the owner’s signature on a deed and recording it with the county
- Posing as the owner in a real estate or mortgage transaction
- Exploiting properties that are vacant, rented, or owned by deceased individuals
Warning Signs of Title Theft
- You stop receiving property tax bills or mortgage statements
- You receive notices of default or foreclosure notices on loans you never took out
- Tenants or real estate agents show up at your property unexpectedly
- A title search reveals unknown transfers or liens
How to Protect Your Property from Title Theft
Proactive steps can reduce the risk of title fraud:
- Regularly check the title of your property through the county recorder’s office. Unfortunately, this is not easily done without a third party monitoring service.
- Enroll in property alert services offered by many California counties.
- Use a living trust or LLC to hold title and add an extra layer of scrutiny.
- Monitor vacant of rented properties closely.
- Review all notices from your county or mortgage lender carefully.
What to Do If You Suspect Title Theft
Title theft is often sophisticated and can be difficult to reverse without litigation. Accordingly, if you suspect fraud, see irregularities in your title or discover that your property has been transferred or encumbered fraudulently, you should contact a real estate attorney immediately. The attorneys at Schorr Law have done many title theft cases and we know where to step it, stop the bleeding and enact a quick remedy.
We have experience with all sorts of fraudulent title theft matters, here a just a few examples:
- A person residing in Mexico has their California property stolen through a forged deed where our client allegedly appeared in front of a notary in the United States even though the client was out of the country at the time:
- Someone forged our client’s name on two deeds of trust totaling over $2million for a Beverly Hills home using a fake identity and identity theft;
- A person forged our client’s signature on a deed purporting to convey property to a third person even though the person that purportedly signed the deed was dead at the time the deed was fraudulent signed;
- A real estate flipper forged our clients signature and then sold the property to a house flipper.
The good news is that under California law a forged deed is void, and a void deed cannot convey good title so your property rights are protected. Unfortunately, in the vast majority of cases, the only way to enforce this is through legal action and the sooner you take legal action, the easier it is to unwind the damage.
Legal options include:
- Filing a quiet title lawsuit to remove the fraudulent deed or lien.
- Placing a lis pendens on the property to prevent further transfers.
- Recording an affidavit of fraud or correction with the recorder’s office.
- Reporting the fraud to local authorities, title companies, and credit bureaus.
To learn more about how we handle these types of cases, visit our Real Estate Fraud Attorney Los Angeles page.
Contact Schorr Law
If you have been a victim of title theft, or if you simply want to ensure your property is protected, Schorr Law can help. Our attorneys have extensive experience handling complex title and real estate fraud matters across California. We have a ton of experience with these types of matters and will fight to get you your title back.
Call us today at (866) 787-8459 or reach out through our contact form here to schedule a consultation.