The state attorney general's office announced Friday that it has obtained a court order temporarily barring a California company from making allegedly deceptive mailings to consumers.
The complaint filed by Attorney General Roy Cooper alleged that LA Investors was sending letters purportedly from the"Local Records Office" telling them to send $89 to get a copy of their property deed. Such deeds are available for free or at little cost.
The letters instruct consumers to send their payment to an address that is actually a mail drop at the UPS Store in Raleigh's Cameron Village Shopping Center.
"Trying to trick people into paying for free records isn't honest business," Cooper said in a statement. "Consumers let us know about these letters and now we're taking action to stop them."
Wake County Superior Court Judge Howard E. Manning Jr. issued the temporary ban on Thursday. Cooper is seeking a permanent ban on the mailings as well as refunds for those who paid the fee and civil penalties.
David Ranii has been a business reporter at The News & Observer since 1993. Over the years he has covered information technology, banking, insurance, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, media businesses and real estate. Contact him at 919-829-4877 or