Registration open for free Financial Wellness Summit

Thursday, July 11

8-11 a.m.

Florida SouthWestern State College

8099 College Pkwy, Building U, Fort Myers 

Get expert tips to help improve your overall financial wellness while learning how your tax dollars are managed, spent and invested. At the Lee Clerk's free Financial Wellness Summit, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from speakers covering a variety of topics, including budgeting tips, a local market update, saving with property exemptions and more.

As Lee County’s Comptroller, Clerk Karnes will also speak about county investments, the state of county finances and the comptroller function of his role.

The event will also feature an expo where attendees can visit different vendor booths featuring key financial information. Light refreshments will be provided. Space is limited and registration is required.

*Per Florida law, the Clerk’s office is prohibited from providing legal and/or financial advice. The information provided in this seminar is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon for any specific legal or financial issue you may have. If you require any legal or financial advice, you should contact a legal or financial professional.

The Lee Clerk’s office has updated its Property Fraud Alert service to include another layer of security to help you protect your most valuable asset.

When registering for the free Property Fraud Alert service, you are now able to list your Parcel ID number in addition to your name. This additional security feature provides more coverage and additional notifications in case someone files a fraudulent deed for your property.

This new feature will allow you to receive a fraud alert any time your Parcel ID, also known as a STRAP number, is referenced in a recorded public document. Current registrants can add their Parcel ID to the Property Fraud Alert by reregistering with their Parcel ID. New registrants can include the information when signing up.

The free service notifies registrants within 24 hours when a deed, mortgage or other document with their name or Parcel ID has been recorded. For more information or to update your information, visit www.leeclerk.org/fraudalert.

Wednesday, June 12

2-3 p.m.

Via Zoom

Lee County home buyers and sellers who would like more information about the requirements for filing property deeds are invited to attend a free How-To class.

During the class, attendees will learn the process associated with recording a deed. This includes:

• The various types of deeds
• Requirements for filing a deed, including new ID requirements
• Available forms, related fees & notary requirements
• How to protect your property from fraud
• Available contacts & resources

The class is free, but registration is required. 

All property deeds being recorded in Lee County must be accompanied by a clear copy of the grantors’ and grantees’ government-issued photo identification. This now includes e-recorded deeds.

The new requirement is a result of a property fraud prevention program initiated by Clerk Karnes and state lawmakers to make it harder to record fraudulent deeds in Lee County.

Lee County was chosen to be the state’s pilot location for the new program. The program requires all persons or business representatives listed on a deed to provide a government-issued photo ID when the deed is recorded with the Lee County Clerk. This will make it easier for law enforcement to verify the identity of the parties engaged in a property-related transaction and investigate fraudulent activity.

The pilot program went into effect July 1, 2023 and authorizes the Lee Clerk to pilot the program for two years and build out how the process will work for other counties. As a part of the pilot, the Lee Clerk will write a report that will be delivered to the legislature in January 2025 about the results of the program.

The ID requirement was rolled out in phases. It was implemented last summer for deeds recorded in-person or by mail in Lee County. Learn more about the requirements at www.leeclerk.org/deeds.

If you have any questions about the program or would like to submit feedback, please send an email to deedpilot@leeclerk.org.