Actually it is happening both ways.
In Texas for example the new law allows Police, Security Guards and certian other groups are allowed to have their records excepted from dislosure in the public record under Section 552.117 of the Texas Public Records act as ammended.
In Texas, this clause first came to my attention when I attempted to get the tax information online with the Central Appraisal District. The online search showed no one by the subjects name as owning property in Lubbock County. I searched the property address given but the CAD Site reported that no such address existed in Lubbock County. But in this case, I knew that it did. I called the Central Appraisal District and a hesitant clerk told me that this information was confidential and she couldn't give me anything. She said a new law allowed police officers and polititions to have there records made confidential. I told her why I needed the information and she informed me that I would have to contact the subject and have him come down to sign a temporary release.
A couple of weeks later he did get around to signing the release but by the time I was notified the 24 hour release time had passed. We finally got to the records after another 10 days or so.
The records at the county clerks office were intact but I don't know if this was because he could not have his record excepted there or because he just didn't realize the same address, social security # and identity of relatives could also be found in those documents.
In some cases whole categories are being taken from view. Have you noticed how many State and Federal Tax liens, and Judgments are being missed now. They have been removed from the internet sites and often anything that relates to them as well is removed.
Florida will allow anyone to request that any social security numbers embeded in their documents be redacted. This could create a great burden on the clerks down there and in any case it would have no affect on those documents that have already been bulk released.
Also in Florida:
In Volusia County, Fl it says:
Public Notice Regarding Public Records Pursuant to House Bills 1679:
Effective immediately, any person has a right to request the Clerk of the Circuit Court to remove an image or copy of a public record, including an official record from a publicly available internet website if that image or copy is of a military discharge; death certificate; or a court file, record or paper relating to matters or cases governed by the Florida Rules of Family Law, the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure or the Florida Probate Rules. Such request must be made in writing and delivered by mail, facsimile, or electronic transmission, or in person. The request must identify the document identification book and page number of the document to be removed.
Los Angeles County California real estate records are not online.Neither is any other California county that I know of because Section 6254.21 of the Government Code prohibits the posting of home addresses on the internet of any elected or appointed official without his/her written permission. internet.
If they are releasing this information to anyone in bulk digital form then this law offers no real protection to those it was intended to protect.
So it depends on the local, state and federal laws as to how this information is being taken from public view. There is new legislation popping up all over the country with new exceptions as more and more legislatures try to protect their constituents from the bulk release of the public record. It affects the accuracy and completeness of the records themselves. This sort of thing happened only rarely until counties began digitizing and releasing the public records for publication over the internet.
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