The Tennessee attorney general is suing a California company over claims that it sent government-styled invoices to make new homeowners pay to receive copies of their deeds.

Attorney General Herbert Slatery's office on Wednesday announced the lawsuit against LA Investors LLC, based in southern California, and its principals, Roberto Romero and Laura Romero.

According to the lawsuit, LA Investors was doing business under the name Local Records Office when it mailed out the invoices asking for payments. Slatery's office says people paid LA Investors for copies of deeds when they're available for free or a small fee from the local Register of Deeds Office.

The lawsuit claims the advertisements violated the Government Impostor and Deceptive Advertisements Act, which was added to Tennessee law last year.

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