Posted by MJ_Florida on 7/10/05 5:32pm
Msg #50873

Fingerprinting and e-signatures

Anyone out there doing this and why or why not?

Reply by Gerry_VT on 7/10/05 7:41pm
Msg #50879

As for e-signatures, what would become of the documents after they're signed? Only a few land record offices are prepared to accept digital documents, and some of those will only accept them from title companies they've made special arrangements with.

Try this: deeds and mortgages are public documents. If a land record office has accepted a digital deed or mortgage, any of us should be able to get a copy of it for a fee of $20 or so. Does anyone on the board know how to do that, just as a demonstration?

Reply by NY_TaxLady on 7/10/05 8:20pm
Msg #50880

I am not sure but wouldn't you go to the county clerks off? That is where I would start.

Reply by Gerry_VT on 7/10/05 8:27pm
Msg #50882

My point was that if electronic signatures were commonplace, examples would abound that any of us could look at. But as far as I know, they are rare enough that (so far) no one on the board can point to an example of one. And yes, in most states you would go to the county clerk's office, or the county clerk's website. In Vermont or Connecticut you would go to the Town Clerk.

Reply by NY_TaxLady on 7/10/05 8:29pm
Msg #50883

Sorry I misunderstood.

Reply by Iris_WA on 7/10/05 9:03pm
Msg #50892

As a public record, wouldn't it be processed in relatively the same fashion as paper deeds or mortgages? In which case, some venues (as I learned recently from Brenda_TX) are set up to allow online public access to those documents free of charge.

In my county in Washington, it is the County Auditor who records deeds, and as long as you know the party's surname and first name, you can access the deed online -- no charge, no delays.

(Talking through my hat here -- I'm not sure if it would be the same thing.)

Reply by Gerry_VT on 7/10/05 9:45pm
Msg #50898

Iris_WA asked "As a public record, wouldn't it be processed in relatively the same fashion as paper deeds or mortgages?".

I don't know. What I do know is if I go to the town clerk in my town, I can look at a photocopy of the original deed in a bound book, and see the shape of the original signatures. If the deed had been forged, these signature copies could help uncover the problem. (I've heard that handwriting experts would rather see the original signature to look at the pen impressions.)

I wonder if the jurisdictions that accept digital signatures are preserving and making available the complete computer file, so that the digital signatures could be checked anytime in the future, or if they just keep the text and throw away the digital signatures?

Reply by OnTheGoInFla on 7/17/05 12:51pm
Msg #52799

Hi Gerry,
In Broward it's easy You can get a copy online

Reply by Melody on 7/11/05 5:32pm
Msg #51044

Oregon doesn' t allow them ~n/m