Lawmakers Failed To Protect Your Identity

Alabama Mobile Thousands of social security numbers could have been protected if state lawmakers had taken action.

by Jessica Taloney

Published: Thu, July 03, 2008 - 4:55 pm CST

Protecting your identity isn't easy, especially when your Social Security number is floating around on the Internet.

A News Five Investigation uncovered thousands of Social Security numbers, birthdays and signatures published on the Mobile County Probate Court's website, and Probate Judge Don Davis says there is nothing he can do about it.

Alabama law forbids probate offices from removing personal information from mortgages, deeds and other property transactions filed in their office, and only legislators can change that law.

Representative Victor Gaston, a Republican from Mobile, says he has twice offered up a bill to fix the loophole that's tying probate judge's hands, but while the legislation passed unanimously in the House in 2007 and 2008, it failed to even come up for a vote in the Senate!

"With identity theft being the problem that it is in this country, this seems like something we could do and we should do," said Gaston, who wrote HB 295. Gaston says the measure would specifically allow probate judges to remove social security numbers and birthdays from documents before they become public record. Gaston says several other states already give judges that authority.

"Birth dates and social security numbers being available to the public by way of the Internet concerns me very, very much," said Gaston.

We contacted Mobile senators to find out why the bill was not brought up for a vote in the Senate, but one senator, Vivian Davis-Figures, declined to comment. Senator Rusty Glover, who also represents Mobile, blamed partisan bickering for holding several bills hostage, including this one. Glover promises to support the legislation when it is brought up for a third time next year, but says the power to decide what bill comes up for a vote is up to one lawmaker--- Senator Lowell Barron, a Democrat from Fyffe. We were unable to reach Sen. Ben Brooks.

To see if your personal information is published on the website, click here and follow the link to "Records Search," then "Search Real Property Records". You'll need to create a log-in and password by clicking on "Register," then you'll have access to all the documents! (Grantor Search*: last name first name) You can select a PDF or TIFF file.

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carl Says:

Fri, Jul 04, 2008 at 3:36 pm

In this case I think it’s going to include a good ole girls club too. It’s a crying shame that one state senator from north Alabama can decide what bills can be voted on and not be brought up for consideration by the citizens. I believe he is in the area of the famous ” I don’t have to be in favor of any insurance bill to help the people on the coast,I live 400 miles from the coast”. I’m waiting for pay back on that.

justme Says:

Fri, Jul 04, 2008 at 11:50 am

As usually is the case, the public is not gonna vote the loser’s out and the good old boy’s club will never be so selfish as to be concerned for their citizen’s much less the welfare of the state. and, let’s not forget the new’s stations owner’s and new’s people, politic’s has their hand’s tied with silk bow’s so they don’t ask the tough question’s and get the answer’s for the public’s benefit. So the state and it’s citizens suffer with no one caring one way are the other.