Register of Deeds says Leavenworth County is first U.S. county government to use biometric liveness for deed recordings
Loading...
Summary
The register of deeds described a new, voluntary biometric-liveness process for deed recordings that staff say has already flagged potential fraud and led to early warnings and filings.
Terry Lewis, Leavenworth County’s register of deeds, told the commission his office has begun using voluntary biometric-liveness camera technology for deed recordings and said the office believes Leavenworth County is the first county government in the U.S. to adopt the practice. Lewis said the technology attaches an owner’s face to a deed-recording transaction to detect fraud and that the office has already used the tool to pre-warn two property owners and to record three liens.
Lewis described the technology as voluntary and said it has enabled proactive fraud warnings. “After 4 years of searching for the best practices to fight property fraud, Leavenworth County is the first, county government using biometric liveness camera technology in America,” Lewis said. He said, in the first two months of use, staff were able to warn two owners of upcoming recordings that would affect their property and had recorded three liens on that morning’s work.
Lewis acknowledged the process is time-consuming and requires attention to detail; he said his office’s current staffing strain means he will seek an additional full-time staff position and an IOC (intern or other short-term classification) to handle the increased workload. Lewis said some payroll previously funded from a technology fund (Rod Tech) will move back into the general fund as the nature of the work and statutory offsets changed; he asked to return with a clearer split after working with county administration.
Lewis framed the technology as an early-detection tool that also helps the register’s office with outreach to property owners and industry stakeholders. He recommended continuing the rollout while seeking funding and staffing adjustments so the office can sustain the additional time the process requires.
Commissioners asked for a follow-up with clearer accounting of salary splits between the general fund and the Rod Tech fund; Lewis agreed to work with the county administrator and return with revised numbers.
