FAQs • LaSalle County, IL • CivicEngage

My last name is very common; will I receive notification alerts that could possibly belong to someone else?: It is very possible to receive an alert that may actually pertain to another individual with the same last name (and first name) as you. Again, make sure you enter the last name spelling exactly.

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Recorder - Property Fraud Alert System

1. What is Property Fraud Alert (PFA)?: Property Fraud Alert is a notification service that alerts subscribers (via email or phone contact) each time a document is recorded with their name on it. The subscriber must select one method of notification, providing either an email address or a phone number.

2. Is there a fee to subscribe to PFA?: The LaSalle County Recorder’s Office provides this service to LaSalle County property owners at no charge.

3. How many names can I enter?: Names can be entered at no charge for any property owner in your family and/or your business name. Limitations only apply to the number of name assigned to particular notification methods.

4. How many names can I enter using the same notification email address or phone number?: You may enter up to a total of four personal and/or business names per one unique email address, or up to a total of three personal and/or business names per one unique phone number.

5. Can I enter more than one name at a time?: No. You must make separate subscription entries for each individual name (personal or business). For a married couple or for those persons who share the same last name, you must make individual subscription entries for each person.

6. My first name is often spelled many ways; how should I enter it?: It is highly recommended that you enter only the first letter of your first name in the first name field. For example, with a name such as Steve, Stephen, or Steven, you may wish to enter the letter "S" in the first name field. Or you may wish to enter the first few letters of your first name to limit the number of first name matches. For example, if the letters "St" are entered, a name match may result for the names Steven, Stan, Stacy, Sterling, etc.

7. My last name is spelled differently on occasion; how should I enter it?: To illustrate, let's use the last name "Van Buren" as our example. This name may at times be spelled with a space in it ("Van Buren") and at other times with no space ("VanBuren"). For cases like this, it is highly recommended that you make two separate subscription entries with both name variations. For the Property Fraud Alert system to work as intended, and for notification alerts to be sent, the last name spelling, or business name spelling of the subscription name must match exactly.

8. My last name is very common; will I receive notification alerts that could possibly belong to someone else?: It is very possible to receive an alert that may actually pertain to another individual with the same last name (and first name) as you. Again, make sure you enter the last name spelling exactly.

9. My name is John Smith Junior (Jr.), how would I enter that into the subscription form?: It is imperative that you do not enter the suffix of your name (Jr., Sr., etc.) while entering your name into the subscription form. Only enter your first name information into the first name field and your last name information into the last name field. The same logic applies with middle names; do not enter a middle name (or middle initial) into the first or last name fields.

10. I own a business, how should I enter my business name?: Business names should be entered exactly as the business name is spelled; "ACME Printing Company," "Smith and Smith," "XYZ Business Corporation." There may be times, however, that the county may possibly index these names differently. For example, "XYZ Business Corporation" could possibly be indexed as "XYZ Business Corp." In this situation the name match would occur only if you entered "XYZ Business Corp." Therefore, if your business name could contain variations similar to this, we highly recommend that you make an additional subscription entry with that variation.

11. What if my name, my email address, or my phone number changes? How do I update my subscription with this new information?: Simply go to the PFA website and enter your new data information.

12. How long does my name remain on the PFA notification list?: Your name will remain on the notification list indefinitely.

13. I own multiple homes and/or property in several different counties; will one subscription entry in one county cover me for all counties?: No. You must subscribe to each county individually. The Property Fraud Alert system is managed county by county. Visit the home page of Property Fraud Alert to see the full list of participating counties.

The alert notification will contain the following information: