NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Tennessee lawmakers are moving to tighten rules on who can prepare a property deed and how it’s verified following a complex fraud scheme to steal Graceland.
The bill, which is headed to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk, would require property deeds to be prepared by a licensed attorney, a licensed title insurance agent, the property owner, or someone legally authorized to act on the owner’s behalf. The person who prepares the deed would then have to sign a sworn affidavit confirming they prepared it and are legally authorized to do so.
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“What we’re trying to get at with this bill is to try to stop the deed fraud that’s going on,” said State Sen. Brent Taylor (R-Memphis). “I don’t know if you heard, but somebody almost stole Graceland down in Memphis using this technique, and that’s what we’re trying to put a stop to.”
According to state researchers, there were 40 reported cases of real estate fraud in Memphis alone last year, resulting in an estimated $6.5 million in fraud. Statewide, 185 dwellings were stolen across 50 Tennessee counties from 2019 to 2024, per the data…