ALTA supports efforts to protect consumers by prohibiting the filing of unfair real estate fee agreements in property records, a practice that creates impediments and increases the cost and complexity of selling, refinancing or transferring real estate. ALTA advocates for state laws and regulations preventing enforcement of Non-Title Recorded Agreements for Personal Services (NTRAPS).

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News about NTRAPS

States that have Enacted NTRAPS Legislation

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NTRAPS Articles

Recent 2023 2022

State, National Efforts Could Protect Homeowners from Predatory Liens
Y! News  |  September 27, 2023

I’ve got some good updates about a national and Ohio effort to stop what has been called a predatory act by some companies to offer quick cash in exchange for an exclusive agreement to sell a home for 40 years.

 Brokerage Firm Hit With Lawsuits Files for Bankruptcy
September 26, 2023

Facing lawsuits from attorneys general in six states, MV Realty filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 33 states.

Entrapment is the Name of the Game
National Mortgage Professional  |  September 22, 2023

Non-Title Recorded Agreements for Personal Services (NTRAPS) were first identified in Florida in 2017. The majority of the 25,000 cases in 32 states currently on record happened in 2022, according to the title agents and consumer protection advocates investigating this elusive scam. “The scope is large, although I always say, just one is unacceptable when you’re talking about an unfair agreement that can have such a devastating impact on a consumer,” said Elizabeth Blosser, vice president of government affairs at the American Land Title Association (ALTA), which joined forces with AARP last year to draft legislation addressing NTRAPS.

Indiana Joins List of States Filing Complaints Against MV Realty
September 21, 2023

Indiana became the sixth state to file a complaint against MV Realty, alleging the company misled consumers over the terms of the brokerage's “Homeowner Benefit Program.”

Agencies Warn Homeowners of 'Predatory' Agreements
WKBN  |  September 21, 2023

The American Land Title Association (ALTA) and AARP came together Wednesday with a warning about what they called predatory agreements aimed at homeowners. The agreements are known as Non-Title Recorded Agreements for Personal Service (NTRAPS) and came into the groups’ radar last year when they were flagged by a number of title agents.