OPINIONS

Google “deed theft scams in Florida” and you will find that the real estate market is not only hot for those looking to buy or sell

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It’s a market ripe for property thieves who use forged documents and identity theft to transfer title and then sell or mortage homes or lots they do not own

While such transfers are obviously not legal, they cause both legal and financial problems for the true property owner as once such a deed is recorded, “it appears valid, and others may purchase the property from the fraudster or the third party named as guarantee in the deed in the belief that such person owns and has the right to sell the property,” according to an analysis of recently approved legislation designed to address the problem starting with a pilot program to launch here in Lee County

Thanks to the efforts of Lee County Clerk of the Courts Kevin Karnes, who realized how easy it was for sophisticated scammers to steal properties because existing state law tied the hands of such officials when it came to recording deeds, it’s going to become a whole lot less easy

The “Title Fraud Prevention Through Identity Verification Pilot Program” will be tested here in Lee County for two years after

Most of us have heard people say something along the lines of “I get more out of it than they do” when talking about the volunteer experience Some will even couch that statement with “I know it sounds cliche, but … ” as if others may not believe the genuine feeling they get from their belief

However, it’s a statement that should be c e l e b r a t e d w i t h o u t a n o u n c e o f s h a m e , because it highlights the truth about the volunteer experience

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When we volunteer, we can find common ground with others we may have perceived as different from ourselves We discover new passions and gifts that can be shared with others We realize that serving someone in need often happens in a positive atmosphere

Feeling personally fulfilled, refreshed or excited about lending a hand to someone else is more than just gratifying Those feelings are also catalysts that will bring you back for more

If volunteering were a drag or unfulfilling, people wouldn’t have done it amid a pandemic more than 23% of the U S population did, according to an AmeriCorps report

The impact made by those 60 7 million which Mr. Karnes will make a recommendation to legislators whether the program that allows clerks to require specific identification should be expanded statewide

The pilot program, among the provisions of HB 1419, was passed unanimously by both the State House and Senate and signed by Gov Ron DeSantis last Wednesday

Mr Karnes said this week that the law gives the Lee County Clerk’s Office the ability to require government-issued IDs from anyone who records a deed before that deed is processed.

“We can turn over that information to law enforcement and do a better investigation,” he said in an interview with The Breeze “It gives law enforcement a starting point ”

A government-issued ID will provide a photograph of all parties on the deed with an address and name, which Mr Karnes said will allow law enforcement to better follow the path back to those who fraudulently transfer ownership of properties

Previously, the Clerk’s Office was required to accept and record a document if it met statu-

Americans helped others better handle or face their circumstances during a difficult time

W i t h D A V ( D i s a b l e d American Veterans), the charity I represent, service to others is why we exist We’re committed to helping make whole those forever changed by their time in the military A huge p a r t o f h o w w e d o t h a t i s through selfless volunteers who g i v e t h e i r m o s t v a l u a b l e resource: their time

Our volunteers come from a l l w a l k s o f l i f e a n d b a c kgrounds Some are DAV members; others are friends and supporters of the veteran community All make a difference in veterans’ lives

One thing our volunteers help with is running our nationwide DAV Transportation Network for the Department of Veterans Affairs Through this program, we provide n o - c o s t r i d e s t o v e t e r a n s w h o o t h e r w i s e wouldn’t have access to lifesaving and critic a l V A m e d i c a l a p p o i n t m e n t s W h e n tory requirements, which did not include any sort of identification

The required presentation of a governmentissued ID, complete with photo, is a good starting point, and we thank Mr Karnes and members of the Lee County Legislative Delegation for being among those committed to mitigating the problem

Meanwhile, property owners here and statewide have another protection in place they can sign up for a free notification service that will alert them whenever an instrument purporting to convey title, such as a deed, is recorded in the county’s official records

While the service does not prevent the recording of the deed, it lets the property owner know they may need to contact an attorney or law enforcement to report the fraud as well as take other steps to undo the fraudulent conveyance, including filing for a court-ordered “quiet title ”

We urge anyone who owns property to take that protective step Visit leeclerk org/fraudalert

COVID-19 hit, we lost many of t h e s e d r i v e r s a s t h e c o u n t r y effectively shut down But even as things are largely back to n o r m a l , m a n y o f o u r Transportation Network vehicles remain idle, waiting for volunteers to get behind the wheel

Every vehicle that doesn’t move means a veteran isn’t getting a needed ride or paying e x p e n s i v e t r a n s p o r t a t i o n f e e s for each necessary trip So if you are willing and able to drive veterans to their appointments, even if you have just a few hours a month, go to driveforveterans org to sign up or get more information

But the DAV Transportation Network is just one opportunity we offer volunteers We have many other ways to be involved, both in VA medical facilities and right in your community You can learn more about those at volunteerforveterans org

Volunteering changes lives and not just those on the receiving end If you choose to raise your hand to give your time, I hope you’re able to say you got more out of it than the people you’ve served It’s a wonderful gift you receive in exchange for that most precious resource

John Kleindienst is the national director of voluntary services for DAV and an active v o l u n t e e r K l e i n d i e n s t i s a U S M a r i n e Corps veteran who served from 1996 until he was medically discharged in 2003 as a result of service-connected injuries Learn more about DAV’s resources for veterans at dav org