{"id":3187,"date":"2023-08-14T08:06:51","date_gmt":"2023-08-14T12:06:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/?p=3187"},"modified":"2024-04-25T23:17:35","modified_gmt":"2024-04-26T03:17:35","slug":"lee-county-florida-buyers-and-sellers-new-id-rule-for-deed-filing-as-of-august-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/lee-county-florida-buyers-and-sellers-new-id-rule-for-deed-filing-as-of-august-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Lee County, Florida Buyers and Sellers: New ID Rule for Deed Filing as of August 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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After Florida passed HB 1419 to deal with deed fraud<\/a> in the state, Lee County Clerk Kevin Karnes announced a new requirement for filing a property deed. As of August 2023 and onward, you\u2019ll need a government-produced photo ID if you expect to file a deed in Lee County.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why specifically there? Because Lee County, whose county seat is Fort Myers, is running the state\u2019s anti-fraud pilot program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about ID verification, and some questions experts are asking about Florida\u2019s new deed-fraud prevention law more generally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Blocking the Invasion of the Deed Snatchers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kevin C. Karnes, an elected official, holds the title Clerk of the Circuit Court. The Clerk is also the County Recorder and Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners, and Lee county\u2019s Comptroller, Treasurer and Auditor. Karnes says the reason for the new ID rule is to position the state\u2019s deed recorders to turn information over to law enforcement if there\u2019s a reason to suspect deed fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone named on a deed now has to be verified prior to recording, whether in-person or by mail. Karnes hopes this new ID requirement will slash Lee County\u2019s fraud statistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What about e-filings? It\u2019s mainly title professionals who e-file deeds. These filings will be addressed at a later date, as the county\u2019s software is modified for the purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deed Fraud Can Cause \u201cIrreparable Damage\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When some scoundrel comes along and snatches a homeowner\u2019s identity to transfer a deed, and the fraudulent document gets recorded in the county records, that\u2019s a major problem. Once it\u2019s recorded, the ownership, for legal purposes, has transferred. The deed might be transferred yet again to distance the culprit from the original act of fraud. Sometimes, innocent buyers accept deeds with fraud in the chain of title. Fraudulent deeds are an absolute mess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u261b<\/em> <\/em>Is title insurance a remedy<\/em><\/a> for a fraudulent transfer that happened in the past? Does it matter if it\u2019s a standard policy or an extended policy? Read more at the link, right here on Deeds.com.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Lee County Sherriff\u2019s Office August 2023 fraud alert:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[A]s these criminal acts are often undiscovered until attempting to sell or refinance your property, the fraud can result in irreparable damage.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if it can be cleaned up in court, it will be expensive and stressful to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Service: The County Clerk\u2019s Property Fraud Alert<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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As many other counties across the country are doing, Lee County is now offering an automatic fraud alert service for homeowners. The service is free of charge. Property owners (in any county that offers the alert service) need to sign up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lee County Clerk\u2019s property fraud alerts tell homeowners whenever the Clerk records a document in the owner\u2019s name. The alert comes within 24 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The alert system doesn\u2019t prevent a deed from being recorded. But it does give the homeowner a chance to get law enforcement on the case before other people get swindled. Also, when suspicious activity is quickly reported to investigators, cases are more likely to ultimately be resolved in favor of the victims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Owners can sign up for any real estate for which they hold titles. The alerts cover not just personal residences, but also investment and business properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Lee County\u2019s service goes a step further. People who don\u2019t own real estate can also make use of it, as it will send messages about any documents the Clerk records under their names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lee County\u2019s Already-Established Requirements for Recording Documents<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re filing a deed or other legal document with the Clerk of Lee County, Florida, you\u2019ll want to make sure your paperwork is properly recorded, without any excess delay or costs. The rules for filing are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n