Moat Title Security
Fortifying Real Estate with an Innovative Approach to Preventing Title Fraud and Squatting

Curt Moore, President and CEO

Title fraud is an insidious threat that stealthily chips away at the bedrock of property ownership. Often undetected until catastrophic damage has been done, this fraud often leaves property owners vulnerable and blindsided. The issue persists, largely unnoticed, until the owner faces the unsettling consequences of a compromised asset. Moat Title Security steps in here, offering a proactive solution to a problem many only realize exists once their property has come under attack.

Moat Title Security was born from a personal crisis faced by Curt Moore, whose mother nearly fell prey to a sophisticated title fraud scheme in 2014. This painful experience shed light on the vulnerabilities of property owners within public records, where fraudulent documents can tarnish legitimate and actual ownership. Witnessing firsthand the turmoil inflicted on elderly property owners, Moore was propelled and motivated to build and establish a company dedicated to preventing such occurrences.

Curt Moore brings to his role at Moat Title Security a wealth of experience spanning three decades in petroleum land management. His deep understanding of complex land records and legal documentation equips him with unique insights into creating effective barriers against fraud. Under Moore’s leadership, Moat Title Security does more than protect properties; it preserves homeowners’ peace of mind, ensuring their safety from the dark clouds of fraud that one day may loom over their assets.

“My expertise largely lies in property title, legal contracts and navigating the complexities and legal implications of documents placed in public records,” says Moore, President and CEO.

Moore crafted his magnum opus—the Notice of Title Freeze (NOTF)—based on the intricate tapestry of business acumen and a fervent dedication to protecting property owners from title fraud. Much like a consumer credit freeze protects consumers from fraudulent credit applications, this copyrighted legal document effectively freezes property title from fraudulent recordings placed in the public records. By placing the NOTF in the public records, Moat Title Security both deters potential attacks and provides a valuable evidentiary tool for quiet title proceedings for its clients if needed.

Moat Title Security has also introduced its latest innovation—a shield against the encroaching and real threat of squatters.

“Our two-pronged defense strategy deters potential squatters and swiftly addresses any trespassing and unauthorized occupancy incidents,” explains Moore.

A Notice of Occupancy (NOO) is a strategic defense mechanism that both wards off unauthorized occupants with its unequivocal declaration of the property owner’s rights and intentions for their property. The document states that the owner has no intent of another party occupying their property. Full stop. No occupancy shall occur without a Notice of Property Lease (NOPL), a recorded testament to legitimate tenancy. The NOO works well for owners of second homes, vacation property and even vacant land, all of which are prime targets for squatters. For owners of property intended for tenancy such as rental properties, the property owner simply records a NOPL for each legitimate tenant while the NOO continues to block unauthorized parties from claiming a right to occupy the property. A unique solution to secure and defend property owners against squatters.

Providing Transparency and Clarity to Clients

As Moat Title Security expands its product offerings across the U.S., it encounters both challenges and opportunities. However, it remains steadfast in its mission to provide the most effective solutions to its clients with a unique customer service and pricing model.

From the moment clients engage with Moat Title Security, they experience a considerably different consumer service approach. Unlike other companies offering automated responses and generic contact methods, the firm ensures that each client quickly connects with a dedicated Moat representative. This personalized touch enhances customer service and builds lasting relationships between clients and their representatives. Relatively unheard of these days, Moat centers its customer service model on personalized service rather than 1-800 numbers and chat robots.

“I am old enough to remember interacting with the same person at various places of business and not having to face 1-800 gauntlets with confusing menus intended keep calls away from an actual customer service representative. That is not our view of customer service at Moat,” states Moore.

Transparency and clarity are the cornerstones of client interactions. Moat Title Security has established a unique reputation by avoiding the industry-standard practice of charging recurring and perpetual fees for its product line. Moat clients are informed about the costs of each product and once purchased there are no recurring costs. Additionally, Moat has priced its NOTF and NOO product lines to be affordable for property owners of all walks of life.

Benefits of Notice of Title Freeze (NOTF)

“Our flagship document, known as the NOTF, is designed specifically for property owners to protect themselves against title fraud,” says Moore.

The NOTF is recorded in the public records where the property is located, explicitly stating that no further recordings against the property can be made without the owner’s express, recorded consent which comes in the form of a Title Unfreeze and Release. Any document recorded without first recording a Title Unfreeze and Release is an unauthorized recording and is fraudulent.
Unlike traditional title monitoring services that passively observe changes to title in the public records, Moat Title Security adopts an active and proactive defense strategy. By placing a NOTF on the property recorded in the public records, Moat deters potential fraud and effectively prevents unauthorized recordings. This proactive approach ensures that any alterations to the property’s title require the owner’s express, recorded consent, significantly enhancing the security of the property’s title.

“Title fraud begins in the public records where the folks that engage in this activity search the records for vulnerable targets. The NOTF sits right there in the property records to deter an attack from happening in the first place,” says Moore.

The NOTF’s design and effectiveness can be compared with a consumer credit freeze, which safeguards consumers against identity theft by preventing the processing of both legitimate and fraudulent credit applications. Similarly, the NOTF freezes the owner’s property title in public records until the property owner opts to release the freeze with a Notice of Title Unfreeze and Release. This approach provides a higher level of protection than title monitoring, much like the superiority of a credit freeze over simple credit monitoring.

User-Friendly Application Process

Clients seeking robust protection for their property title can initiate the NOTF process through a Moat agent or on the Moat Title Security website at moattitlesecurity.com. During the application process, clients proactively dialogue with their agent to ensure the document is prepared, executed, and recorded conveniently and efficiently to protect their property from fraud.

Once the application is submitted, an agent from the company will prepare the Notice of Title Freeze according to the property’s unique specifications and pertinent state statutes. This ensures that every document complies with state laws regarding title, fraud and recording.

As the Moat documents require notarization prior to recording, Moat Title Security offers a seamless and simple solution to document execution and recording. Moat agents are certified notaries and can notarize documents in person or provide remote online notarization in states where the remote online notarization is allowed. Once the NOTF is prepared, clients are informed and guided on effectively and conveniently executing the document.

Moat Title Security has strategically partnered with DocuSign, a leader in electronic document execution, to ensure that each legal document is precisely executed. DocuSign’s robust online identity verification further strengthens the security and integrity of the process. Upon completion, clients receive a copy of the recorded document and instructions on its use and benefits and of course remain linked to their agent for future questions and activity.

Like a credit freeze, a Notice of Title Freeze prevents recordings and changes to a property’s title without the owner’s express and recorded consent. So legitimate recordings are going to be blocked by the NOTF in the absence of first recording a Title Unfreeze and Release. Clients who plan on conducting legitimate transactions such as selling or placing a mortgage against the property will need to contact their agent to unfreeze their title in public records. This critical step and precaution is akin to lifting a credit freeze to enable the processing of a credit application and is essential for enabling legitimate transactions.

Clients need to understand that while a title freeze is an effective deterrent against fraudulent activities, it is not infallible. In the event of an attack, the NOTF placed in the public records can be a critical evidentiary asset in court proceedings, facilitating the swift restoration of the property title as part of expunging a fraudulent filing from the records.

In the real estate landscape, property owners face a real and growing threat from squatters who illegally occupy vacant land or residences, often manipulating legal grey areas to claim residency. In this regard, Moat Title Security has developed and copyrighted legal documents that deter squatters from targeting a Moat client’s property while providing substantial legal leverage for property owners in the event of an attack.

Squatters seek to exploit vacant properties by gaining entry to the property, altering locks, establishing utilities in their names, and fabricating connections to the property owner to thwart eviction by the owner. A squatter will claim that they have permission to be on the property via a fraudulent lease or simple verbal permission from the owner which often hampers law enforcements ability to discern criminal offenses from civil disputes—a process filled with uncertainty and potential legal complexities. Subsequently, property owners are often forced to engage in protracted and expensive legal actions to reclaim their property rights.

“More and more, squatters are becoming experts on how to execute their attacks with various false claims of permission to be in the property from the property owner that can stall the process of eviction. The Notice of Occupancy seeks to short-circuit squatter attacks by simply stating that the owner has no intention of granting tenancy without their express recorded consent. A valuable tool to clear up the he said, she said noise for local authorities,” says Moore.

To resolve this dilemma, Moat Title Security introduced a pioneering solution— the Notice of Occupancy (“NOO”), which is recorded in public records to protect property owners from the squatter risk. This document unequivocally affirms the property owner’s exclusive rights with respect to their property with clear instructions and notice that the owner has no intention for another party occupying their property. The NOO effectively wards off squatters by stating that no party is authorized to occupy the property without the owner’s express recorded consent. This proactive approach prevents unauthorized access and supports local authorities and, if necessary, the courts, in swiftly verifying the property owners’ rights and intentions relative to third party occupancy of the property, enabling quicker intervention and reducing the likelihood of prolonged disputes in the event of an attack.

For property owners that intend to grant occupancy to their property through a legitimate lease agreement Moat Title Security provides the Notice of Property Lease (“NOPL”) as the clear and only path for a legitimate tenant to be granted occupancy of the property. This document complements the NOO by identifying the names of legitimate tenants while the NOO continues to protect the property against unauthorized entry and occupancy. This dual-document strategy benefits property managers and owners who seek to balance their properties’ leasing and tenancy strategies with stringent protection measures against the risk of a squatter.

“We anticipate strong demand for this innovative new product line as property owners become increasingly aware of the risks posed by squatters and the limited defenses currently in the marketplace,” states Moore.

Remarkable examples of squatters taking up unauthorized residency of private property along with the property damage and often contentious, lengthy and costly process to affect an eviction are commonplace in the news these days. The Moat solution to this risk is invaluable for owners of second homes, vacation properties, or vacant land who want to safeguard their assets from squatters in their absence. Property investors of all sizes will also find this approach useful in explicitly defining authorized occupants from unauthorized squatters, enhancing the security and integrity of their real estate investments.

Moat Title Security’s strategic legal documentation provides a comprehensive defense against the pervasive issue of squatting. This approach serves both as a deterrent and a clear legal pathway for reclaiming property rights, showcasing the company’s commitment to providing innovative, practical solutions in property management.

Move towards a Nationwide Rollout

Moat Title Security has made significant strides in its mission to combat title fraud across the U.S. The Notice of Title Freeze documents are currently available in the states of Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida and Arizona and the company is rapidly expanding its reach to an additional ten states by August. By the end of 2024, it intends to achieve nationwide coverage while establishing strategic agent placement primarily in large metro areas of each state. The Notice of Occupancy is available nationwide and is in the early stages of rollout. Each product offers unique protections for property owners from fraud and together create a family of products underpinned by an old-fashioned customer service and pricing model that Moat believes the consumer market will embrace.

The journey towards expansion of the NOTF involves a comprehensive review of each state’s statutes to ensure that the document aligns with each state’s laws relative to fraud, title and public records. This rigorous process underpins Moat Title Security’s commitment to providing precise and reliable services that best protect property owners from fraud wherever they may be located. The journey also enhances its operational capabilities by establishing a physical presence in critical markets such as Florida, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and Arizona during early stage development as a model for future growth. This strategic and intentional design structure enables personalized service and support backstopped by dedicated representatives on a regional basis. As it is conceivable to have Moat clients in all walks of life across the nation and perhaps in areas not directly supported by a local agent, Moat has a dedicated staff that can support clients wherever they may be from the home office. Whether a client is connected to a local agent or a home office agent, a Moat client will have a single source point of contact for all of their customer service needs.

The firm is excited to be finalizing its structural development plans with key growth targets and milestones deliverable throughout and by year end 2024 and looks forward to growing its product line in the market.