Phila. Council discusses new plan for property ownership checks

City Council today takes on the problem of house stealing, where predators gain ownership of a property through false documents.

The Committee on Law and Government will consider legislation, pushed by Councilman William Greenlee and Donna Reed Miller, that would require more in-depth checks into the true ownership of property during a sale.

The 122 cases of fraudulent real estate transfers reported in 2006 does capture all the activity that goes on the city, the council members said in the press release. The elderly and sick are often the targets of such scams. Council has wrestled with the city's Records Department over what documentation should be required in a property sale.

Miller has also called for funding to create a Real Estate Fraudulent Transfer Task Force, because District Attorney Lynne Abraham says she does not have the resources to devote to the problem.

The hearing is 10 a.m. in Council Chambers.