Business charges $89 for $10 deed

After refinancing his house recently, Mark Meinhardt of Eagan received what looked like a bill from the "Local Records Office" with the urgent message: "Important property information. Respond promptly." It also had a warning about tampering with the mail. But it wasn't a government document. For $89, LRO will send a copy of the deed as well as a "property profile" with the owner's name and address and some neighborhood statistics. The Dakota County Property Taxation and Records department charges $10 for a certified copy of a deed. The company's return address is a rented mailbox in St. Paul. An LRO employee wouldn't reveal the business' actual location, but an Internet search indicates the business operates locally — throughout the country.