Published in the Asbury Park Press 06/9/05
BY JAMES W. PRADO ROBERTS
STAFF WRITER
FREEHOLD — After a county resident found his Social Security number on a mortgage document posted to the Internet by the Monmouth County Clerk''s Office, a Superior Court judge ordered the office to temporarily remove images of all public deeds and mortgages from its Web site.
James F. Norton III filed suit in the Chancery Division of Monmouth County Superior Court, arguing that publication of his Social Security number would expose him to financial identity theft. Norton, of Little Silver, refused to comment.
On May 20th, Judge Alexander D. Lehrer also ordered the clerk''s office to begin redacting Social Security numbers from all newly filed deed and mortgage records.
"I am hopeful that my Web site will be up and running as soon as we go back to court," said M. Claire French, the county clerk. "I believe public records should be available to anyone who wants to see them, but the banks are responsible for putting information on these records which are not necessary."
State law does not require Social Security numbers to be included on deeds or mortgages.
Until Lehrer signed his order, all deeds and mortgages recorded in the county since 1996 were available on the Internet. They remain available at the county clerk''s office in Freehold.
Norton and French are due back in court on June 23.
|
|
