Private Information Is Public Record

When Tonya Taylor looked up a relative's name on the Mobile County Probate Court's website, she was shocked to find their personal information published in black and white for everyone to see.
"They've got her signature, and they've got her social security number," said Taylor, who found the information in an old loan document.
The court's website allows users to search for any name, and if you've ever bought a house or a piece of property in Mobile County, yours is there!
Mobile County Probate Judge Don Davis tells News Five when it comes to what information is published, his hands are tied. Davis says his office is obligated by Alabama law to publish mortgages, deeds, incorporations and other documents exactly as they are submitted, so if you're bank or mortgage broker included your social security number, it becomes public record.
"Current Alabama law does not permit a probate judge, anywhere in the state of Alabama, to redact information off a document," said Davis, who has spent the last two years working with lawmakers to address the issue. Davis says the Alabama House of Representatives passed a bill to allow Probate Judges to delete private information, but the measure failed in the Senate. Davis says the legislation was supported by the Alabama Association of Probate Judges and the Alabama Banking Association.
Among the thousands of people who's private information is published on the website, we easily found several high-profile Mobilians, including Mobile Mayor Sam Jones. A spokeswoman for Mayor Jones says he's aware his information is on-line, and he's not happy about it.
To see if your personal information is published on the website, click here and follow the link to "Records Search," then "Search Real Property Records". You'll need to create a log-in and password by clicking on "Register," then you'll have access to all the documents! (Grantor Search*: last name first name)
Judge Davis says one the information is published, there is no way to remove it, but he warns consumers in the future to request to have their social security number deleted before signing documents that will be submitted to the Probate Court.