Secretary of state warns about potential real estate scam

Over the past few days, Secretary of State Tre Hargett's office has received copies of letters sent to at least eight real estate companies that suggested there are claims against titles of 28 residential properties, and Tennessee residents are cautioned that this is a scam.

The letters, which are postmarked from Portland, Ore., say the claims were submitted on behalf of an organization called the French Trust. The letters threaten legal action against anyone attempting to sell any of the listed properties and urge recipients to contact the French Trust. 

Although the secretary of state’s office is referenced in the letter, Hargett said in a prepared statement that the office has no involvement in sending the letters and no involvement in enforcing legal restrictions against real estate transaction titles.

“It is not immediately clear what the motivations might be for sending out these letters, but we do know that the facts and representations made in them are not true,” Hargett said. “We want to get the message out to people who receive the letters because we don’t want the letters to unnecessarily complicate real estate transactions in our state.”

If you receive one of these letters, please contact the secretary of state’s Business Services Division for assistance at 615-741-2286 or via email at Business.Services@tn.gov.