Someone recorded a fake deed on my parent's house in Los Angeles County. What should I do first?
Based on an interview with Josué Cristóbal Guerrero, Founding Partner, recorded .
The short answer
If a forged or fraudulent deed was recorded, file a police report, contact your insurance company and call a real estate lawyer. Within the first couple of weeks, you want a civil complaint on file to cancel the fake document and a lis pendens recorded against the property, before anyone can borrow against it or sell it.
It's much harder to undo a loan or undo a subsequent sale than it is to undo a fake or forged deed.
Why the first two weeks matter
A lis pendens is Latin for pending litigation. It is a recorded notice that a lawsuit over the property exists, and it puts later buyers and lenders on notice, so most will not proceed. That is what generally stops a further transfer or, more commonly, a loan against the house.
That is the reason for the hurry. Once a lender or a later buyer is involved, you are no longer dealing with one bad document.
In Los Angeles County
Recorded documents are held by the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk in Norwalk, so pull copies of what was recorded and have them handy for the call. The county also runs a free program that alerts owners when a deed, a loan document or a notice of default or sale is recorded on their property. You can register for email alerts through the Assessor's portal, and the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs takes questions about suspicious recordings at (800) 593-8222.
The lawsuit is filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court because that is where the property is. The court cancels the instrument, and if needed decides title through a quiet title claim.
- Code of Civil Procedure section 405.20. A party asserting a real property claim may record a notice of pendency of action.
- Civil Code section 3412. A court may order a void or voidable written instrument delivered up or canceled.
This answer is general information about California law and is not legal advice for any specific situation. Deadlines and exceptions turn on your facts. Code sections were checked against California Legislative Information on November 4, 2026.
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