Deed Fraud Bill Passes!

I was privileged to attend the signing of SB1479, a Deed Fraud prevention bill sponsored by Senator Carroll. This was not my bill but it is important legislation that resulted from years of advocacy by myself and LD12 constituent, Debi Gotlieb. Debi and I have been working on this issue for over three years!

A littel bit of history. In December 2023, I hosted a stakeholder meeting to understand this problem and develop legislation. Our first bill, which I submitted in 2024, didn’t get very far but it was a positive start. This effort, along with the advocacy of Debi Gotlieb, encouraged the County Assessor to host a Summit last year, and then in the fall we met as a task force to discuss the on-going problem of Deed Fraud. These folks included county assessors, county treasurers, the Attorney General’s office, the Secretary of State’s office, realtors, title companies, and victims.  We brainstormed possible solutions over the course of these meetings. There are many ways for criminals to commit deed fraud; the legislation signed by Governor Hobbs will combat it from different angles. Here’s what it does:
1. Notaries will need to get a fingerprint from the seller. Debi’s criminal was found by a fingerprint taken by a California notary. This requirement is for any deed or document pertaining to property, and powers of attorney.
​2. You will need to provide an ID if you go to the county recorder’s office to record a deed.
3. Recording a fraudulent deed is now a Class 4 felony, it was previously only a misdemeanor.
4. It closes the Dominguez v Dominguez loophole which allowed others who had paid your property taxes for five years to become the lawful owners of that property.
5. County Assessors will be developing a Property Protection Program that will notify you if someone changes your address with the assessors office. This will be an opt-in program. (I will let you know when this program is set up and ready for you to opt-in.)

This bill was a culmination of a lot of work we have done over the last three years to help people keep their most valued possession, their homes and property. We have more work to do but I’m proud of the work we’ve done so far to combat deed fraud.

​In the meantime, don’t forget to sign up with Maricopa Title Alert (or your specific county) to get notified if something has been recorded with your name. This is another tool in the toolbox to protect your property.