ATTORNEY'S ADVICE - NO CHARGE
Read this and make a copy for your files in case you need to refer to it someday. Maybe we should all take some of his advice! A corporate Attorney sent the following out to the employees in his company.
1. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put "PHOTO ID REQUIRED."
2.. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card Accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the "For" line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to it.
3.. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home Phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your SS# printed on your checks. You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have It printed, anyone can get it.
4.. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to Call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. I also carry a Photocopy of my passport w hen I travel either here or abroad. We've all heard horror stories about fraud that's committed on us in stealing a Name, address, Social Security number, credit cards.
Unfortunately, I, an attorney, have firsthand knowledge because my Wallet was stolen last month. Within a week, the thieve(S) ordered an Expensive monthly cell phone package, applied for a VISA credit card, had A credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a PIN number From DMV to change my driving record information online, and more. But here's some critical information to limit the damage in case this happens to you or someone you know:
5.. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card Numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.
6.. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit Providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an Investigation (if there ever is one).
But here's what is perhaps most important of all: (I never even thought to do this.)
7.. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations Immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over The Internet in my name. The alert means any company that checks your Credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by Phone to authorize new credit.
By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks after the theft, all the damage had been done. There are records of all the Credit checks initiated by the thieves' purchases, none of which I knew about before placing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw my wallet away this weekend (someone turned it in ). It seems to have stopped them dead in their tracks.
Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet, etc., has been stolen:
1.) Equifax: 800-525-6285
2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 888-397-3742
3.) Trans Union : 800-6807289
4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line):800-269-0271
We pass along jokes on the Internet; we pass along just about everything.
If you are willing to pass this information along, it could really help someone that you care about.
In New Jersey by Law you do not have to use an Attorney to represent you on your Real Estate purchase or sale. The unspoken rule for many years has been below the State Capital (Trenton), most folks used Title Companies exclusively to handle their closings. Remember we all use Title Companies but we as Realtors have no contact with them, the attorney is our middle man does all that upper and lower Court things and we have so many other things to take care of Contract, Inspections, Mortgage Commitments, Deposits and holding of the hands among other things to get to the closing table. Yes, the Title Company usually has an in-house attorney to review the contract but that is it, they step out and let the Title Company handle the rest along with the Realtor.
IN NEW JERSEY BY LAW YOU DO NOT HAVE TO USE AN ATTORNEY TO CLOSE ON YOUR REAL
ESTATE- THE UNSPOKEN RULE FOR MANY YEARS WAS BELOW THE STATE CAPITAL
(TRENTON) FOLKS PREFERRED TO USE TITLE COMPANIES TO HANDLE THEIR CLOSINGS,
REMEMBER WE ALL USE TITLE COMPANIES AND YES THEY HAVE AN ATTORNEY REVIEW BUT
NOT A HANDS ON AS A CLIENT TYPE OF SITUATION, JUST A REVIEW AND THAT IS IT; AS FAR
AS ATTORNEY REPRESENTATION. I WOULD SAY 9 OUT OF 10 BUYERS' ABOVE (TRENTON)
BORDER HALF AND HALF STATE USE ATTORNEYS' TO REPRESENT THEM AS A REALTOR WE
USE A FORM CALLED OPINION 26 WHICH EXPLAINS TO THE BUYER THAT IN THE STATE OF NEW
JERSEY "YOU DO NOT HAVE TO USE AN ATTORNEY", BUT HOWEVER WE AS YOUR BUYERS'
AGENT OR DISCLOSED DUAL AGENT CANNOT REPRESENT YOU AS AN ATTORNEY................IN
FACT IN MY EXPERIENCE I DO NOT GET HALF WAY THROUGH THIS WHEN THE BUYERS' THROW
THEIR HANDS UP AND SAY WE WANT AN ATTORNEY....................OR WE HAVE
AN ATTORNEY......................SO IT MAKES ME FEEL SOMEWHAT RELIEVED ALTHOUGH WELL
TRAINED BUT SO ARE ATTORNEYS' IN REAL ESTATE LAW.................................THE
LOOPHOLES................SOME BUILDERS' HAVE A REPUTATION FOR NOT DEALING WITH
REALTORS IN OTHER WORDS SHARING COMMISSIONS KNOWN AS CO-BROKE, THEY WOULD
RATHER HAVE YOU ALL TO THEMSELVES................................YOU NEED AN ATTORNEY TO
REVIEW YOUR CONTRACT ESPECIALLY IN THIS MARKET..................I KNOW FIRST HAND HOW
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF; ALTHOUGH THINGS HAVE CHANGED NOW THEY
WILL GIVE YOU THEIR FIRST BORN NOWADAYS.............................................
REGARDS..............................KATHY
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