Sen. Ingwersen introduces bill to combat deed fraud

AUGUSTA – On Monday, Sen. Henry Ingwersen, D-Arundel, introduced a bill to combat deed fraud in Maine. LD 2240, “An Act to Implement Protections Against Deed Fraud,” was the subject of a public hearing before the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee.

“This legislation deals with a serious issue that’s been recurring in York County. This issue of deed fraud is a difficult issue to get proper data on as realtors are not required to flag suspicious deed transactions, and successful frauds are often not discovered until the owner receives their tax bill,” said Sen. Ingwersen. “This bill would work to protect the victims of deed fraud by the use of the 3 P’s: public education, prevention and prosecution.”

LD 2240 would create measures to set up identity verification for buying and selling property in Maine. It would upgrade the crime of deed fraud from a class D crime to a class B, making it a felony. This legislation would also create a public awareness campaign for Maine real estate agents and Registrars of Deeds through the state to raise awareness of the issue of deed fraud and ways to prevent it.

“Land thefts require little to no complicity on the part of the victim. In York County, there have been 12 separate occasions where a seller impersonator tried to sell a victim’s land,” said William King, York County Sheriff. “This bill will not only engage in an education campaign so all realtors and state agencies are aware of this issue, but it will also allow an easier pathway to correct the county deeds records for the victims of deed fraud.”

The bill faces further action in committee.