Sunday, March 15, 2009

Chicago Home sellers will need to be finger printed

To help combat real estate fraud the city of Chicago is requiring starting June 1st that homesellers provide a fingerprint.

With rampant fraud occurring in the city, this is not a bad idea. But being a libertarian, the idea of a government official taking my fingerprint disturbs me. I would like to see that these fingerprints be destroyed after a period of time.

Fingerprinting is something we often associate with crime. So the fact that Cook County home sellers 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. via CBS2 Chicago

From the comments section;
Comment by Curtis Van Carter on 15 March 2009:
In California they have been requiring a thumb print for notarizing a deed of trust for about 4 years and just upped the requirement to any document regarding real estate this year. I don’t remember the stats, but it eliminated the vast majority of fraud as to those seller something they didn’t have the right to. The other commenters may be right about the civil rights part of this, but being a notary, there have never been a complaint!

David Pylyp Given the potential for fraud and the abuse of Power of Attorney documents, and the cash tenants that sell your house while you are not looking; I can see this type of technology coming to the Toronto (GTA) in the very near future.

What are your thoughts?

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