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House Judiciary Committee hears bill to block deed fraud, create property‑alert systems
Summary
Lawmakers and advocates backed House Bill 7,551 to require stronger identification for remote real‑estate filings and to require municipalities to offer opt‑in property‑alert notifications; AARP Rhode Island cited FBI data showing deed‑fraud losses in New England and urged statewide protections.
House lawmakers on Feb. 11 heard testimony on House Bill 7,551, a measure sponsored by Rep. Kennedy that would tighten safeguards against deed fraud and require municipalities to offer property‑alert notification systems.
The bill would bar municipalities from accepting electronic real‑estate filings from remote locations after Sept. 1, 2027, unless the filing includes sufficient documentation to identify the person submitting the document or is submitted by a designated "trusted submitter," such as a land‑title agent, escrow agent, attorney or licensed real‑estate professional. It would also enable clerks to put suspicious filings on temporary hold while they verify identity or consult law enforcement.
Matt Neto, associate state director of advocacy for AARP Rhode Island, told the House Judiciary Committee the bill addresses a nationwide uptick in deed‑fraud schemes. "Now imagine waking up one day and learning that on paper, you no longer own that home," Neto said, saying FBI Boston reported deed‑fraud victim counts and dollar losses in New England between 2019 and 2023. Neto described trusted submitters and said 12 Rhode Island municipalities already run opt‑in property‑record notification systems that alert owners within 10 business days of filings affecting an enrolled parcel.
Committee members pressed witnesses on implementation details and timing. Neto cited a vendor example for a turnkey alert platform with roughly $9,000 initial setup and about $400 per year in maintenance, and said the bill leaves municipalities flexibility to build simple systems or contract for services so that smaller towns are not forced into large expenditures.
Sponsor Rep. Kennedy said the bill is intended as an enabling, protective measure, not a punitive one: it requires notarization and identity verification for many remote filings and seeks to reduce seller‑impersonation scams that exploit public, online land records. Support letters from the League of Cities and Towns and the Secretary of State's office were submitted with testimony.
The committee concluded testimony on HB 7,551 after questions and agreed to consider the bill further.
