Posted on 03/13/2009 10:15:41 AM PDT by STARWISE
Sellers Will Be Required To Provide Thumbprint Before Deal Is Approved
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Real estate certainly has its risks and fraud is a growing problem, but now there's a new law that's supposed to protect buyers. As CBS 2's Mike Puccinelli reports the new law will also place an unusual burden on the seller.
Fingerprinting is something we often associate with crime. So the fact that Cook County home sellers--and homeowners across the state--will soon have to provide a thumb print left some people shocked.
"I wouldn't like that at all. I don't think that's necessary," said Chicagoan Donald Hayes.
"I don't know what I think about that. Not very good, I think, said Jenny Armstrong of Lake Villa.
The new law, which is set to go into effect June 1, 2009, will force anyone selling property in Cook County to provide a thumbprint from their right hand.
"No more so than any law abiding citizen walking down the sidewalk should be fingerprinted; just for selling my house, that's ridiculous," said Gerald Cain of Land Acquisitions, Inc.
Cain has been in the real estate consulting business for decades. He says the law is intrusive and threatens to create fraud when it's designed to prevent it.
Cain has been notarizing documents for more than a quarter century, but he says unless the fingerprint rule is revoked, he plans to get out of the business.
"I would probably just quit; liability for me is too much," Cain said.
Joseph Rogul of the Professional National Title Network isn't worried about the law and rather welcomes it.
"We're in favor of it. Fraud has been a big problem for title companies like us. We don't think it will add too much of a burden on us," said Rogul.
Rogul says consumers will likely have to pay a little more, but he believes the benefits will outweigh the costs, because widespread fraud in the industry means widespread costs, which are typically passed on to the consumer.
The law specifies that consumers can be charged up to $25 to cover fingerprint processing costs.
Unless it's reintroduced, the thumbprint rule is set to expire in 2013. Cain is calling on lawmakers to repeal the provision.
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Drip, drip, drip .. another Lib/ChicagoWay financial extraction ruse. What's it about ... illegal financial gains when drug runners and criminals sell their homes or just more 1984 ? Unreal.
~~PING!
You have to give your fingerprint for a driver’s license, a job, and now to sell a house but absolutely no ID to vote (or become POTUS).
In COOK COUNTY, where you can’t even own a GUN! LOL.
In California, any signature notarized on a document which purports to transfer or even affect title on real property requires a thumbprint. There is no extra charge for the thumbprint which the notary takes for his or her journal. I have not heard of people objecting to the principle of taking prints.
I’d love to see an anti-Demonrat revolution begin in Illinois. Wouldn’t that be rich?
another way to get people into their system to id....
Great point!!
Besides more fees, what’s really behind it ?
I don’t recall ever doing this for any document or transaction. What’s the real purpose here? Sounds like an assault on property ownership.
In California the fingerprint is not subject to more fees. The cost of a notarized signature is $10 per signature, with or without a fingerprint required. The purpose, among others, is to help avoid fraud where the usual identity might not be enough to prevent it, for example, John Smith Jr. may be trying to sell John Smith Sr.’s property.
Cain has been notarizing documents for more than a quarter century, but he says unless the fingerprint rule is revoked, he plans to get out of the business.
“I would probably just quit; liability for me is too much,” Cain said.
Sounds like Mr. Cain is just worried about getting caught falsely notarizing documents -
But that wouldn't go on in Cook County, would it? /s
Might well be his concern. A notary can be liable for not taking a fingerprint when it is required but I don’t see that a notary would be liable if the person turned out not to be the one supposedly with the right to sell the property. My example earlier of Junior selling Senior’s property is a clear situation where one can present valid identification as John Smith and point to his name on the deed and the notary has no reason to know the Junior/Senior situation, the notary has not been negligent and cannot be held liable. The fingerprint is a piece of evidence which can be used to track down frauds but it doesn’t necessarily prevent the fraud in the first place.
Related:
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Illinois Income Tax May Jump 50 Percent
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2205761/posts?page=61
Absolutely .. hope it happens.
You have to give a thumbprint to take the Law SAT.
“You have to give your fingerprint for a driver’s license, a job, and now to sell a house but absolutely no ID to vote (or become POTUS).”
So true, so true. Hell, you don’t even have to prove citizenship to be president. How much more BS will people take before they have had enough?
In Texas, real estate agents, as of last year, have to get a full set of fingerprints to get or renew their licenses. I don’t know why the legislators voted this in. I suspect some of the demos own fingerprinting companies or equipment distributors but that is the only reason I can come up with.
It’s a great way for the government to get fingerprint samples from everyone. Just for their own protection, you know. It would never be used for any nefarious purpose by the government.
“Oh, and while you are at it, could you give a DNA sample as well. It’s for your own good.”
Democrat priorities....that ID for votes would sure mess up their plans, considering the loss of illegals, felons, dead people, double and triple votes from students in more than one state, etc.
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