Philadelphia property fraud alert and deed monitoring
Property Watch checks any Philadelphia address you add every night: new documents recorded against the parcel in the official Philadelphia property records, the owner of record, Philadelphia building records and the official tax sale and surplus lists. The Philadelphia Department of Records also runs Deed Fraud Guard, free, which watches owner names (notaries can also watch their own signature and stamp) and notifies by email.
The county's own alert
Deed Fraud Guard
- Run by
- Philadelphia Department of Records
- Watches
- owner names (notaries can also watch their own signature and stamp)
- Notifies by
- Cost
- Free
What Property Watch checks in Philadelphia
| Check | What it watches | Official source | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded documents | New deeds, mortgages, releases, liens and other documents recorded against the parcel. | official Philadelphia property records | nightly |
| Owner of record | A change of the owner of record on the county assessment roll. | County assessor roll | nightly |
| Building records | New L&I code violations and building permits. Addresses outside Philadelphia have no city building records to watch. | City building records | nightly |
| Tax sale and surplus lists | The parcel appearing on an official tax sale, sheriff sale or surplus funds list. | Official county lists | nightly |
| Federal courts | Federal civil and bankruptcy cases naming the owner of record. A name match, not proof the case concerns the property. | Federal court records | weekly |
How much is recorded in Philadelphia
From Oct 27, 2025 to Aug 11, 2026, 26,376 deeds and 41,614 mortgages were recorded in Philadelphia, with 26,999 satisfactions of mortgage. Each one is the kind of document a recording alert reports. Source: official county records, refreshed nightly.
The county alert and Property Watch side by side
| Deed Fraud Guard | Property Watch | |
|---|---|---|
| Documents recorded | Yes, by owner names (notaries can also watch their own signature and stamp) | Yes, matched to the parcel |
| Owner of record changes | No | Yes |
| Building violations | No | Philadelphia only |
| Tax sale and surplus lists | No | Yes, the official lists |
| Several counties on one page | No | Yes |
| Official record | Yes, it is the recording office | Checks official records |
| Cost | Free | First property free, then $7 a month each |
Property Watch tells you what was recorded or changed. It cannot stop a filing, does not lock or freeze a title, is not title insurance and is not legal advice.
See everything recorded against a Philadelphia property
AI title search, $49 per report. Usually ready in about a minute. Full refund if we can't deliver.
More official records for Philadelphia
- Philadelphia property history lookup: Free timeline of what has been recorded against any Philadelphia property: deeds, sale prices, mortgages and releases by year, from official county records.
- Philadelphia building violations and permits: Free lookup of open violations, condemned or unsafe cases and building permits for any Philadelphia address. The report adds them to the title search.
Philadelphia County title search.
Questions
Does Philadelphia have a property fraud alert?
Yes. Property Watch checks any Philadelphia address every night for new documents recorded against the parcel, the owner of record and the official lists. The Philadelphia Department of Records also runs Deed Fraud Guard, a free service, which watches owner names (notaries can also watch their own signature and stamp) and notifies by email.
What does Property Watch check for a Philadelphia property?
Recorded documents (nightly, official Philadelphia property records); Owner of record (nightly, County assessor roll); Building records (nightly, City building records); Tax sale and surplus lists (nightly, Official county lists); Federal courts (weekly, Federal court records).
Does Property Watch see a deed the night it is recorded in Philadelphia?
It sees it the first night it appears in the official Philadelphia property records. Records can trail the recording desk by days, and the alert gives the recording date the record states.
What should I do if a deed I did not sign is recorded in Philadelphia?
Get a copy of the document from the Philadelphia Department of Records, contact that office, report the forgery to local law enforcement, tell your lender if a loan is involved, and talk to a real estate attorney. Property Watch tells you what was recorded or changed. It cannot stop a filing, does not lock or freeze a title, is not title insurance and is not legal advice.