Just spoke to the Town Clerk of Groton, Connecticut this morning. Groton is gearing up to comply with the law and to accept electronic filings. I presented most of the questions voiced here to her this morning. She really did not have any answers. She foresees many problems with the electronic filings not the least of which is the land fraud scheme of which you speak. I have not yet had the opportunity to read the new law, but I would have to think that there is someting built into it to assure the authenticity of a signature. The Superior Court now permits filings of court pleadings electronically with secured signatures on the pleadings. However, that is not to say that identity thieves and land fraud rip off artists will not find some way around it.

Groton's Town Clerk will continue to accept filings in the traditional way, and much prefers them to the proposed electronic filings. I do not foresee the law firms in the area opting for electronic filings for obvious liability reasons. The Town Clerk indicated that she thought it will however become very popular with the national title companies as a means of widening their profit margins on a closings by bypassing the expense of the title update usually connected with a recording.