McLean homeowners can sign up for free email alerts that flag when someone files a document against their property record at the Fairfax Circuit Court.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors directed staff at its Oct. 27 meeting to help publicize the Property Alert Notification System, which rolled out in early October, FFXnow reported. The system is administered by the Fairfax Circuit Court Office.

The service is free for Fairfax County and City of Fairfax property owners. Once enrolled, a homeowner receives an email whenever a document matching their name is recorded with the court's Land Records office.

The goal: early detection. Title fraud occurs when a deed or title transfer is recorded without the real owner's authorization or knowledge, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Forged deeds can effectively transfer a property to a fraudster.

Homes owned outright face particular risk, Storck said. "This fraud can go undetected for months or even years," Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck said, according to FFXnow. Storck pushed to fund the system as part of the county's fiscal year 2027 budget.

Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity encouraged seniors in particular to enroll. "It certainly is something that is desperately needed," Herrity said of the initiative.

Chris Falcon, clerk of the Fairfax Circuit Court, said in an Oct. 9 press release that the system aims to give property owners "free and rapid notice of any filings recorded on their property." The clerk's office built the system in partnership with the county's Department of Tax Administration and Department of Information Technology.

The system does not block documents from being recorded or determine whether a filing is fraudulent, according to the clerk's office. It provides an early warning so owners can investigate unexpected activity.

How to sign up

Residents enroll through the county's MyFairfax portal. According to the Fairfax Circuit Court's enrollment page, the steps are:

  • Go to the MyFairfax login page and click "enroll here" to create an account.
  • Confirm your email address by clicking the link sent to your inbox.
  • Log in, then click the Property Alerts icon under the "Add Apps" section.
  • Click "Add New Name" and enter your name in "Last, First Middle" format. You can add multiple name variations.
  • Click "Update" and then "Save Changes."

Residents can cancel alerts at any time by clicking "Delete All Names" from the notification list inside their MyFairfax account.