Following years of Channel 2 Action News coverage, a new Georgia law takes effect Wednesday to help prevent deed theft and title fraud.
The legislation, House Bill 1292, was signed by Gov. Brian Kemp to create new, better safeguards for homeowners and property owners to keep criminals from impersonating them and stealing their property or taking out a second mortgage on it.
The bill creates a process to validate someone’s identity when they file a title deed or real estate and personal property record, ensuring that someone is legally able to claim the property and is who they say they are, a release from the Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division said.
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Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Ashli Lincoln has covered stories about property theft and deception for years.
One case involving an Atlanta homeowner living in the Old Fourth Ward showed how not only can someone lose their home, but that there was little anyone could do about it until now.