Bill Text: NY S05688 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Requires notaries public and commissioners of deeds to complete and retain certain documents relating to the transfer of residential real property; relates to forgery and offering a false document concerning residential real property.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2024-05-28 - referred to codes [S05688 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S05688-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          5688

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                     March 13, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance

        AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to the  requirements  for
          notaries public and commissioners of deeds relating to certain instru-
          ments affecting real property; and to amend the penal law, in relation
          to  forgery and the offering of false documents concerning residential
          real property

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 135-d
     2  to read as follows:
     3    § 135-d. Requirements of notaries public and  commissioners  of  deeds
     4  related to certain instruments affecting real property.  1. This section
     5  shall  apply  to every notarial act in the state involving a document of
     6  conveyance that transfers or purports to transfer title with respect  to
     7  residential  real  property located in the state. It shall also apply to
     8  commissioners of deeds appointed pursuant to section one  hundred  forty
     9  of this article.
    10    2. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the follow-
    11  ing meanings:
    12    a.  "document  of  conveyance"  shall  mean  a written instrument that
    13  transfers or purports to transfer title effecting a change in  ownership
    14  to residential real property, excluding:
    15    (i)  court  ordered  or  court-authorized transfer of residential real
    16  property including but not limited to  a  transfer  between  spouses  or
    17  former  spouses  as  a  result  of  a  decree of divorce, dissolution of
    18  marriage, annulment, or legal separation, or as  a  result  of  property
    19  settlement,  or agreement incidental to a decree of divorce, dissolution
    20  of marriage, annulment, or legal separation;
    21    (ii) a transfer order by a probate court during the administration  of
    22  a decedent's estate;

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00998-03-3

        S. 5688                             2

     1    (iii)  a  judgment of a foreclosure and sale, or a levy pursuant to an
     2  execution;
     3    (iv) a court ordered voiding of an instrument affecting real property;
     4    (v)  a  transfer of property to a trust in which the beneficiary is or
     5  includes the grantor; and
     6    (vi) a deed from a grantor to himself or herself that is  intended  to
     7  change the nature or type of tenancy by which he or she owns residential
     8  real property.
     9    b.  "financial  institution" shall mean a bank, trust company, savings
    10  institution, or credit union, chartered and supervised  under  state  or
    11  federal law.
    12    c.  "notarial  record"  shall  mean  the  written  document created in
    13  conformity with the requirements of this section.
    14    d. "residential real property" shall  mean  a  building  or  buildings
    15  consisting  of  one  to three dwelling units where the square footage of
    16  the residential portion exceeds the square  footage  of  any  commercial
    17  portion.
    18    e.  "signatory"  shall  mean  the person or persons whose signature is
    19  being acknowledged by a notary public or commissioner of deeds.
    20    3. A notary appointed and commissioned as a notary in this state and a
    21  commissioner of deeds shall create a notarial record  of  each  notarial
    22  act  performed in connection with a document of conveyance. The notarial
    23  record shall contain:
    24    a. the date of the notarial act;
    25    b. the type, title or description of the document of conveyance  being
    26  notarized,  the  block  and  lot number used to identify the residential
    27  real property for assessment or taxation purposes, and the common street
    28  address for the residential real property that is  the  subject  of  the
    29  document of conveyance;
    30    c.  the  signature,  printed name and residence street address of each
    31  person whose signature is the subject of the notarial act, and a certif-
    32  ication by the person that the property is residential real property  as
    33  defined in this section;
    34    d.  a  description of the satisfactory evidence reviewed by the notary
    35  or the commissioner of deeds to determine the  identity  of  the  person
    36  whose  signature  is  the  subject  of  the  notarial  act. Satisfactory
    37  evidence shall include presentation of any one of  the  following  docu-
    38  ments identifying the signatory or signatories:
    39    (i)  a valid driver's license or non-driver identification card issued
    40  by the commissioner of  motor  vehicles,  the  federal  government,  any
    41  United  States  territory,  Commonwealth  or possession, the District of
    42  Columbia, or a state government within the United States;
    43    (ii) a valid passport issued by the United States government;
    44    (iii) a valid passport issued by a foreign government; or
    45    (iv) a valid municipal identification card issued pursuant to  section
    46  3-115 of the administrative code of the city of New York; and
    47    e. the date of notarization, the fee charged for the notarial act, the
    48  notary's  home  or business phone number, the notary's business or resi-
    49  dence street address, the notary's commission  expiration  date  or  the
    50  commissioner  of  deeds  appointment  expiration date, the correct legal
    51  name of the notary's employer or  principal,  and  the  business  street
    52  address of the notary's employer or principal.
    53    4.  The  notarial  record  required  under  subdivision  three of this
    54  section shall be created and maintained for  each  person  or  represen-
    55  tative  whose  signature  is  the  subject of a notarial act regarding a
    56  document of conveyance. It shall be in substantially the following form:

        S. 5688                             3

     1  NOTARIAL RECORD:
     2                                DEED TRANSFER
     3  I,  ________________________(GRANTOR)  HEREBY  AUTHORIZE THE TRANSFER OF
     4  OWNERSHIP OF MY PROPERTY TO THE GRANTEE DESIGNATED BELOW. I UNDERSTAND I
     5  MAY BE TRANSFERRING OWNERSHIP OF MY HOME.
     6  Date Notarized:
     7  Fee: $
     8  The undersigned grantor hereby certifies that the real property  identi-
     9  fied  in this notarial record is residential real property as defined in
    10  section 135-d of the executive law.
    11  Grantor's (Signer's) Printed Name:
    12  Grantor's (Signer's) Signature:
    13  Grantor's (Signer's) Residential Street Address,  City,  State  and  Zip
    14  Code:
    15  Grantee's Relationship to Grantor:
    16  Grantee's (Signer's) Printed Name:
    17  Grantee's (Signer's) Signature:
    18  Grantee's  (Signer's)  Residential  Street  Address, City, State and Zip
    19  Code:
    20  Type or Name of Document of Conveyance:
    21  PIN No. of Residential Real Property:
    22  Common Street Address of Residential Real Property:
    23  Description of Means of Identification:
    24  Additional Comments:
    25  Name of Notary or Commissioner of Deeds Printed:
    26  Notary Phone Number:
    27  Commission or Appointment Expiration Date:
    28  Street Address of Notary, City, State and Zip Code:
    29  Name of Notary's Employer or Principal:
    30  Business Street Address of Notary's Employer or Principal,  City,  State
    31  and Zip Code:
    32    5.  Filing of the notarial record. The notary or commissioner of deeds
    33  shall file the notarial record in accordance  with  the  procedures  set
    34  forth in this subdivision.
    35    a. Except as provided in paragraph b of this subdivision, the notarial
    36  record  shall  be  delivered  no  later  than  fourteen days after it is
    37  created to the clerk or office of the register of  the  county  or  city
    38  within which the residential property that is the subject of the convey-
    39  ance is located.
    40    b.  If the notarial record was created by a notary public in the scope
    41  of his or her work for a title insurance company, title insurance agent,
    42  financial institution, law firm or attorney at law,  the  notary  public
    43  shall  deliver  the notarial record no later than fourteen days after it
    44  is created to such title insurance company, financial  institution,  law
    45  firm or attorney at law.  Such title insurance company, financial insti-
    46  tution,  law  firm  or  attorney at law, or any successor or assignee of
    47  such title insurance company, financial institution, law firm or  attor-
    48  ney  at  law  within  the  seven-year retention period, shall retain the
    49  notarial record and may disclose such record  only  as  permitted  under
    50  subdivision seven of this section.
    51    6. The notarial record shall be retained for seven years in accordance
    52  with  the  procedures  described in subdivision five of this section and
    53  with the confidentiality and disclosure provisions established in subdi-
    54  vision seven of this section. No copies of the original notarial  record
    55  may  be made or retained by the notary. The notary's employer or princi-
    56  pal pursuant to paragraph b of subdivision five of this  section,  or  a

        S. 5688                             4

     1  notary  attorney  acting  within  the scope of his or her employment may
     2  retain copies of the notarial records as business  records,  subject  to
     3  applicable privacy and confidentiality standards outlined in subdivision
     4  seven of this section.
     5    7.  The  notarial record shall not be disclosed nor shall its contents
     6  be made known except as provided in this subdivision.
     7    a. A certified copy of a notarial record  shall  be  provided  to  the
     8  United  States  or  any  department thereof, the state or any department
     9  thereof, and the city of New York or any  department  thereof,  provided
    10  that such notarial record is required for official business.
    11    b.  A certified copy of a notarial record shall be provided in accord-
    12  ance with a judicial order.
    13    c. Upon written request by the grantor or a  legal  representative  of
    14  the grantor who is named in the notarial record.
    15    8.  Any  person  or  entity  violating  the provisions of this section
    16  shall, in addition to all other penalties provided by law, be liable for
    17  a civil penalty of up  to  two  hundred  fifty  dollars  for  each  such
    18  violation.  The  secretary of state may assess such penalty following an
    19  adjudicatory proceeding conducted in accordance with the state  adminis-
    20  trative procedure act.
    21    9.  The  failure of a notary or a commissioner of deeds to comply with
    22  the procedure set forth in this section shall not affect the validity of
    23  the residential real property transaction in  connection  to  which  the
    24  document of conveyance is executed, in the absence of fraud.
    25    §  2.  Section  136  of  the  executive law is amended by adding a new
    26  subdivision 4 to read as follows:
    27    4. For performing a notarial act related to a document  of  conveyance
    28  for  which a notarial record is required pursuant to section one hundred
    29  thirty-five-d of this article, the notary or commissioner of  deeds  may
    30  charge  a fee of twenty-five dollars in addition to any fees required to
    31  file the notarial record.
    32    § 3. Section 170.10 of the penal law,  subdivision  1  as  amended  by
    33  chapter 949 of the laws of 1984, is amended to read as follows:
    34  § 170.10 Forgery in the second degree.
    35    A  person  is guilty of forgery in the second degree when, with intent
    36  to defraud,  deceive  or  injure  another,  he  or  she  falsely  makes,
    37  completes  or alters a written instrument which is or purports to be, or
    38  which is calculated to become or to represent if completed:
    39    1. A [deed,] will, codicil, contract, assignment,  commercial  instru-
    40  ment,  credit  card,  as  that  term  is defined in subdivision seven of
    41  section 155.00 of this chapter, or other instrument which  does  or  may
    42  evidence, create, transfer, terminate or otherwise affect a legal right,
    43  interest, obligation or status; or
    44    2.  A  public record, or an instrument filed or required or authorized
    45  by law to be filed in or with a public office or public servant; or
    46    3. A written instrument officially  issued  or  created  by  a  public
    47  office, public servant or governmental instrumentality; or
    48    4.  Part  of  an  issue  of  tokens,  public transportation transfers,
    49  certificates or other articles manufactured  and  designed  for  use  as
    50  symbols  of  value usable in place of money for the purchase of property
    51  or services; or
    52    5. A prescription of a duly licensed physician or other person author-
    53  ized to issue the same for any drug or any instrument or device used  in
    54  the  taking  or  administering  of  drugs  for  which  a prescription is
    55  required by law.
    56    Forgery in the second degree is a class D felony.

        S. 5688                             5

     1    § 4. Section 170.15 of the penal law is amended to read as follows:
     2  § 170.15 Forgery in the first degree.
     3    A person is guilty of forgery in the first degree when, with intent to
     4  defraud,  deceive  or injure another, he or she falsely makes, completes
     5  or alters a written instrument which is or purports to be, or  which  is
     6  calculated to become or to represent if completed:
     7    1.  Part  of  an  issue of money, stamps, securities or other valuable
     8  instruments issued by a government or governmental instrumentality; [or]
     9    2. Part of an issue of stock, bonds or other instruments  representing
    10  interests  in or claims against a corporate or other organization or its
    11  property; or
    12    3. Part of a deed or a part of any type of a deed or other  instrument
    13  that transfers or otherwise affects residential real property, including
    14  a  mortgage,  an  assignment  of mortgage, a satisfaction of mortgage, a
    15  contract of sale, and any document that is required for recording a deed
    16  with a governmental agency.
    17    Forgery in the first degree is a class C felony.
    18    § 5. The penal law is amended by adding two new  sections  175.31  and
    19  175.36 to read as follows:
    20  § 175.31 Offering  a  false  instrument for filing in the second degree;
    21             real property.
    22    A person is  guilty of offering a false instrument for filing  in  the
    23  second  degree;  real  property  when, knowing that a written instrument
    24  contains  a false statement  or  false  information concerning a deed or
    25  a part of any type of a deed  or  other  instrument  that  transfers  or
    26  otherwise  affects  residential  real property, including a mortgage, an
    27  assignment of mortgage, a satisfaction of mortgage, a contract of  sale,
    28  and  any  document  that is required for recording a deed with a govern-
    29  mental agency,  he or she offers or presents it to a  public  office  or
    30  public  servant  with  the  knowledge or belief that  it  will  be filed
    31  with, registered or recorded in  or  otherwise  become  a  part  of  the
    32  records of such public office or public servant.
    33    Offering  a  false  instrument  for  filing in the second degree; real
    34  property is a class E felony.
    35  § 175.36 Offering a false instrument for filing  in  the  first  degree;
    36             real property.
    37    A  person  is  guilty of offering a false instrument for filing in the
    38  first degree; real property when:
    39    1.  knowing that a written instrument contains  a  false  statement or
    40  false information concerning a deed or a part of any type of a  deed  or
    41  other  instrument  that  transfers or otherwise affects residential real
    42  property, including a mortgage, an assignment of mortgage,  a  satisfac-
    43  tion  of mortgage, a contract of sale, and any document that is required
    44  for recording a deed with a governmental  agency,  and  with  intent  to
    45  defraud  the  state or any political subdivision,  public  authority  or
    46  public benefit  corporation of the state, he or she offers or   presents
    47  it    to a   public   office,   public servant,   public   authority  or
    48  public benefit  corporation  with  the knowledge or belief that it  will
    49  be  filed  with, registered   or   recorded in  or  otherwise  become  a
    50  part of the records  of  such  public  office,  public  servant,  public
    51  authority or public benefit corporation.
    52    Offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree; real prop-
    53  erty is a  class D felony.
    54    § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.
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