INVERNESS -- If you've ever bought or sold a piece of property, served in the military or been involved in a court judgment, a valuable piece of your identity could soon find its way onto the Internet:

Your Social Security number.

The number sometimes appears on court documents and property deeds. A veteran's Social Security number, along with a wealth of other personal information, appears on the military discharge papers occasionally filed at the courthouse.

All of those documents will be posted on the Internet on Monday, when Clerk of Courts Betty Strifler adds a searchable database of official records to her Web site, www.clerk.citrus.fl.us.

The database will make it easier for people to view Citrus County records from any computer, instead of scrolling through the aging microfilm rolls at the courthouse in Inverness.

But the database could also put people's names and Social Security numbers into the hands of anyone with an Internet connection.

There is a solution: Residents can fill out a form requesting their Social Security numbers or military paperwork be removed from the documents shown on the Internet.

The forms are available at the clerk's office and on her Web site.

Although these records have always been publicly available at the courthouse, the Legislature's mandate to put digital images of the documents online by 2006 is turning public records into published material, Strifler said.

"I think that's the distinction," she said. "It was one thing when those documents just resided in a courthouse, but now there is the concern about identity theft on the Internet."

So far, the clerk's office has fielded about 25 requests from residents to remove their Social Security number from the online documents, Strifler said. The number will not be removed from the official record maintained at the courthouse, however.

The clerk's office has also received a handful of requests to remove military discharge papers from the courthouse records.

Veterans were never required to file those papers with the clerk, but some did to make sure they could always find a copy of them, county veterans service officer J.J. Kenney said.

"That's his ticket for everything: (Veterans Administration) benefits, VA health care, the national cemetery," Kenney said. "They can't access any of the VA services they need unless they prove they're an honorably discharged veteran."

The Legislature gives veterans an all-or-nothing deal on public records: Either keep the discharge papers at the clerk's office, where they will be posted on the Internet, or have the papers removed from the county's public records altogether.

"We are not happy with that," Kenney said. "No future record of that document will exist (in Citrus County). If you're lucky, it takes 60 to 90 days to get a copy of those records from the National Personnel Records (Center) in St. Louis."

Kenney told state Rep. Nancy Argenziano, R-Crystal River, about a Georgia law that keeps military records off the Internet while retaining them at the local clerk's office.

In the meantime, however, Kenney recommends veterans remove their military records from the clerk's office and keep extra copies in a bank safe deposit box or a fireproof lockbox at home.

Veterans or their survivors must file that request in person at the clerk's office.

Residents may also ask to remove death certificates and other records from family law, juvenile proceedings and probate court from the documents shown on the Internet. The originals would be maintained at the courthouse.

Residents can make the request at any time, even after the documents go online.

Strifler's database will launch Monday with records dating back to 1995. In a couple of months she plans to add images of all other documents since 1982, beating the state's 2006 launch deadline with more than three years to spare.

Strifler believes the online system will be a valuable asset for title searchers, attorneys, surveyors, engineers and prospective property buyers who want to research the county's official documents.

"The big convenience is they will have the image of the document at their businesses, without having to come to the courthouse," she said. "They can print an unofficial copy from their printer (instead of paying $1 a page at the clerk's office), and if they need a certified copy, they can come in and request that."

-- Bridget Hall Grumet can be reached at 860-7303 or bhall@sptimes.com.

What you can do

Residents can fill out a form at the Clerk of Court's Office requesting that their Social Security number or military discharge papers be removed from the official records that will be posted next week on the Internet. Residents must do a little research first, however, to find the book and page number of the documents in question. People can find the location of all county documents in their name by searching the computerized index at the clerk's office in the courthouse, or by clicking on the "Official Records" icon on the right side of the clerk's Web site, www.clerk.citrus.fl.us.

Back to Citrus County news

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright

From today's
Citrus Times

Region's DCF chief takes job in Marion

Inverness to hold small projects, not raise tax

July 4 events to light up faces all over the county

Your number may be up

Kids' art illustrates voter guide

Strength, teamwork key as road warriors battle

Citrus digest