Home > Blogs > Bill Jones > Bill Jones a Realtor®'s Blog

Making our Cients get Finger Printed

By Bill Jones

Real Estate Agent with Discovery Real Estate Ltd. - "Homes By Jones"

March 16, 2009 04:56 AM

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

This will give Big Brother one more service available Free of Charge from Realtors and give Sellers one more reason to FSBO.

The government here in Canada already has us collecting personal photo ID information for our sellers, is this the next step for Canada also?

Bill

Re-Blog

Comments(4)

Comment

Show All Comments

Sort:

Sherry Mills

Tarheel-Realty II - Statesville, NC

I don't like the idea of fingerprinting, but I do think that all customers should first go to the real estate office and register with their driver's license, especially since some customers have been criminals and taken advantage of realtors when alone.

Mar 16, 2009 05:02 AM

Larry Story ALC

Total Care Realty - Greensboro, NC

Beneath it all is the Land, Covering all of NC

Bill just curious what types of fraud are running rampent out there that would cause such a move.

Mar 16, 2009 05:04 AM

Missy Caulk

Missy Caulk TEAM - Ann Arbor, MI

Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate

Say it ain't so, Joe (opps Bill).

This is over the top in my opinion.

Thanks for pointing it out, but I just don't see the point. They already have to show drivers license at closing to confirm who they are. I would fight it.

Mar 16, 2009 05:43 AM

Elizabeth Bolton

RE/MAX Destiny Real Estate Cambridge, MA - Cambridge, MA

Cambridge MA Realtor

Hi Bill, I think that's outrageous and for the life can't imagine how they've justified it. It isn't defensible though in my opinion no matter their excuses.

Liz

Mar 16, 2009 01:14 PM