Verified real estate registration system

Abstract

A verified real estate registration system, where individuals may register, for avoiding a fraudulent transaction occurring with respect to real property. During registration, basic information identifying the individual or entity registering along with verifying documentation are entered into the system. Once the identity of the individual or entity is confirmed, the individual or entity then becomes a registered user of the system and is permitted to enter any real property, solely or jointly owned by the registered user, into a data base of the system. The system also permits registered users to generate a warning notice, with respect to real property, which is recordable in a chain of title of any real property, owned by the registered individual or entity, so as to avoid any fraudulent transfer occurring respect to the real property having the warning notice recorded in the chain of title.

Description

[0001] VERIFIED REAL ESTATE REGISTRATION SYSTEM

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates to a recordable warning notice, which can accompany and be recorded in the chain of title with respect to any real property transaction, that is designed to substantially eliminate real property title theft and mortgage fraud through owner impersonation and similar crimes which can occur with respect to real estate.

[0004] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] When an individual or entity is buying, renting or refinancing a piece of real property, the last thing that individual or entity wants to worry about is being scammed. Unfortunately, criminals are getting more creative in how they target consumers, particularly with respect to housing transactions. In 2022, real estate fraud resulted in victim losses of nearly $400 million, according to data from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. The five most common real estate and mortgage scams are escrow wire fraud, loan flipping and predatory lenders, foreclosure relief, fake listings and rental scams, and bait-and-switch movers.

[0006] To compound the real estate fraud issue, many real estate and rental scam victims are too embarrassed to file a complaint with the authorities, and this makes it even harder to catch the scammers who repeatedly victimize unwitting homeowners, homebuyers, renters and the like.

[0007] A real property owner’s name and address are public information. In fact, such information is in plain sight on the owner’s recorded deed. Like general identity theft, real property theft is on the rise. Impersonating an owner is an easy way to steal a property’s title and equity. Title insurance policies (often issued to buyers at the time of purchase of a piece of real property) often do not protect buyers / owners from these incidents and, even if they do, such policies do not prevent the incident from occurring. Impersonating a property owner, mortgaging the property and taking the loan proceeds thereby stealing the property’s equity isbecoming far to common. In general, four basic problems can arise relating to real estate.

[0008] The first potential problem is that a third party may impersonate a property owner and, thereafter, sell the property to an unsuspecting buyer. The second potential problem is that a third party may impersonate a property owner and, thereafter, mortgage the property and take the loan proceeds thereby stealing the property’s equity. The third potential problem is that a third party may impersonate a property owner and, thereafter, lease the property to an unsuspecting tenant and steal the security deposit and rental proceeds. The fourth potential problem occurs with respect to properties that are owned by limited liability companies, corporations and other such entities, and a person pretends to have the authority to sell, mortgage and / or lease the property on behalf of the entity which, in fact, owns the property.

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Wherefore, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the above mentioned shortcomings and drawbacks associated with prior art real property recording procedures and thereby make it significantly more difficult for someone to scam an individual or an entity which is buying, renting, mortgaging, leasing / renting or otherwise encumbering a piece of real property.

[0011] Another object of the disclosure is to provide a verified real estate registration system which 1 ) first verifies the identity of each and every individual or entity which is being registered with the verified real estate registration system, 2) verifies that the registrant is the owner of the real property and / or authorized signatory of the owner of the real property, 3) after verifying the identity, permitting the verified individual or the authorized representative of the verified entity to list all properties which are either solely or jointly owned by the verified individual and / or the verified entity and, if necessary or desired, to generate a Warning Notice which can be recorded, with the local or the government authorities, with respect to each real property which is either solely or jointly owned by the verified individual or the verified entity and thereby substantially eliminating the possibility of anyfraudulent transfer, conveyance and / or encumbrance occurring with respect to the real property having a Warning Notice recorded in the chain of title of that real property.

[0012] A further object of the disclosure is to permit the verified individual or the verified entity, once the identity of the individual or entity is validated by the verified real estate registration system, to generate a Certificate of Identity that proves to a third party (i.e., a buyer, a mortgagee, a title agent, title insurer, real estate broker, etc.) that the registered individual or the authorized representative of the registered entity has the authority to sell, transfer, convey, mortgage, lease, rent and / or otherwise encumber the specified real property so that the specified real property may be sold, transferred, conveyed, mortgage, leased, rented and / or otherwise encumbered without any concerns of fraud occurring with respect to the transaction.

[0013] The present disclosure relates to a verified real estate registration system for avoiding a fraudulent encumbrance occurring with respect to real property, the verified real estate registration system comprising: a website where an individual, an authorized representative of a partnership or an authorized representative of a legal entity registers with the verified real estate registration system; during registration, the individual, the authorized representative of partnership or the authorized representative of the legal entity initially enters basic information identifying the individual, the partnership or the authorized representative of the legal entity currently registering at the website; the individual, the authorized representative of partnership or the authorized representative of the legal entity subsequently supplies documentation, which is inputted and scanned by the verified real estate registration system and is sufficient to prove to the verified real estate registration system, that the person currently registering at the website is, in fact, the individual, the authorized representative of partnership or the authorized representative of the legal entity identified by the basic information; and once the identity of the individual, the authorized representative of partnership or the authorized representative of the legal entity is confirmed by the verified real estate registration system, the individual, the authorized representative of partnership orthe authorized representative of the legal entity then becomes a registered individual, an authorized representative of the registered partnership or an authorized representative of a registered legal entity of the verified real estate registration system; the website of the verified real estate registration system permits the registered individual, the authorized representative of the registered partnership or the authorized representative of any registered legal entity to access the website and enter any real property, which is either solely or jointly owned by the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity, into a data base of the verified real estate registration system; the website of the verified real estate registration system also permits the registered individual, the authorized representative of the registered partnership or the authorized representative of any registered legal entity to generate a warning notice with respect to any real property which is entered into the data base of the verified real estate registration system and either solely or jointly owned by the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity, and the warning notice including a QR code; and the warning notice being recordable in a chain of title with respect to any real property, which is either solely or jointly owned by the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity, so as to provide notice to a third party that the identity of the registered individual, the authorized representative of the registered partnership or the authorized representative of any registered legal entity is registered with the verified real estate registration system and the third party must verify such identity with the verified real estate registration system in order to avoid a fraudulent transaction occurring with respect to the real property having the warning notice recorded its chain of title.

[0014] The present disclosure also relates to method of providing a verified real estate registration system for avoiding a fraudulent encumbrance occurring with respect to real property, the method comprising the steps of: providing a website where an individual, an authorized representative of a partnership or an authorized representative of a legal entity registers with the verified real estate registration system; during registration, the individual, the authorized representative of thepartnership or the authorized representative of the legal entity entering basic information identifying the individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the legal entity currently registering at the website; the individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the legal entity subsequently supplying documentation, which is inputted and scanned by the verified real estate registration system and is sufficient to prove to the verified real estate registration system, that the person currently registering at the website is, in fact, the individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the legal entity identified by the basic information; and the individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the legal entity then becoming a registered individual, an authorized representative of a registered partnership or an authorized representative of a registered legal entity of the verified real estate registration system once the identity of the individual, the authorized representative of the registered partnership or the authorized representative of any registered legal entity is confirmed by the verified real estate registration system; the website of the verified real estate registration system permitting the registered individual, the authorized representative of the registered partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity to access the website and enter any real property, which is either solely or jointly owned by the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity, into a data base of the verified real estate registration system; the website of the verified real estate registration system also permitting the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity to generate a warning notice with respect to any real property which is entered into the data base of the verified real estate registration system and either solely or jointly owned by the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity, and the warning notice including a QR code; and recording the warning notice in a chain of title with respect to any real property, which is either solely or jointly owned by the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity, so as to provide notice to athird party that the identity of the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity is registered with the verified real estate registration system and the third party must verify such identity with the verified real estate registration system in order to avoid a fraudulent transaction occurring with respect to the real property having the warning notice recorded its chain of title.

[0015] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate various embodiments of the invention and together with the general description of the invention given above and the detailed description of the drawings given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0017] Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic screen shot of a sign up page of a website of a verified real estate registration system;

[0018] Figs. 2 and 2A, respectively, are diagrammatic screen shots of an email confirmation page and a phone confirmation page of the website of the verified real estate registration system;

[0019] Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic screen shot of a security question selecting and answer page of the website of the verified real estate registration system;

[0020] Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic screen shot of a government issued ID country selection page of the website of the verified real estate registration system;

[0021] Figs. 5 and 5A, respectively, are diagrammatic screen shots of pages of the website of the verified real estate registration system for uploading the government issued ID;

[0022] Figs. 6 and 6A, respectively, are diagrammatic screen shots of the website of the verified real estate registration system showing processing of one or more pictures of the government issued ID;

[0023] Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic screen shot of the website of the verified real estate registration system showing the gathering of facial features of an individual registering with the verified real estate registration system;

[0024] Figs. 8 and 8A, respectively, are diagrammatic screen shots of the website of the verified real estate registration system showing the additional information to be entered by the individual registering at the verified real estate registration system and a Congratulation screen;

[0025] Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic screen shot of the website of the verified real estate registration system showing registration of a piece of real property with the verified real estate registration system;

[0026] Figs. 10, 10A, 10C and 10D, respectively, are diagrammatic screen shots of the website of the verified real estate registration system showing registration of the type or real property to be registered, the specific location of the real property, whether the real property was a previously acquired piece of real property or a piece of real property to be acquired, and the identity of the person or entity which owns, or will own, the real property;

[0027] Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic screen shot of the website of the verified real estate registration system showing the entry of additional joint owners of a piece of real property;

[0028] Figs. 12 and 1 A, respectively, are diagrammatic views showing a Warning Notice to be generated by the verified real estate registration system and a Congratulatory screen inquiring about subscription to the service of the verified real estate registration system;

[0029] Figs. 13 and 13A, respectively, are diagrammatic views showing a sign in page of the website of the verified real estate registration system, and properties owned by the registered user, following logging into the verified real estate registration system;

[0030] Fig. 14 is a diagrammatic view showing a disclaimer of the website of the verified real estate registration system;

[0031] Fig. 15 is a diagrammatic screen shot of the website of the verified real estate registration system showing the entry of general information to assist with verifying the identity of a registered individual;

[0032] Fig. 16 is a diagrammatic screen shot of the website of the verified real estate registration system showing a number of security questions to be answered by the individual in order to verify and / or later verify the identity of the registered individual;

[0033] Figs. 17, 17A, 17B, 17C and 17D, respectively, are a diagrammatic screen shots of the website of the verified real estate registration system showing entry of a government issued ID, selection of the country of the government issued ID, selection of the type of the government issued ID, entering pictures of the government issued ID, and scanning of the front and back of the government issued ID into the verified real estate registration system;

[0034] Fig. 18 is diagrammatic screen shot of the website of the verified real estate registration system showing the gathering of facial features of the registered individual by the verified real estate registration system;

[0035] Fig. 19 is a diagrammatic screen shot of the website of the verified real estate registration system showing a congratulatory message follow completion of the identification process;

[0036] Fig. 20 is a diagrammatic screen shot of the website of the verified real estate registration system showing an example of the Certificate of Identity generated by the verified real estate registration system; and

[0037] Fig. 21 is a diagrammatic example showing validation of the QR code to a third party by the verified real estate registration system using a conventional smart phone;

[0038] Fig. 22 is a diagrammatic screen shot of the website of the verified real estate registration system showing verification following scanning of an QR code with a camera of the smart phone which indicates that the QR code is valid (i.e., that the Warning Notice or the Certificate of Identity, as the case may be, was generated by the website of the verified real estate registration system;

[0039] Fig. 23 is a diagrammatic view showing a computer networked environment for implementing the verified real estate registration system according to the disclosure;

[0040] Fig. 24 is a diagrammatic flow diagram showing the process of initially registering with the verified real estate registration system according to the disclosure;

[0041] Fig. 25 is a diagrammatic flow diagram showing the process of a registered user accessing the verified real estate registration system to print a Warning Notice or lock or unlock a piece of real property; and

[0042] Fig. 26 is a diagrammatic flow diagram showing the process of a registered user accessing the verified real estate registration system to re-verify a registrant’s identity and print a certificate of identity and unlocking a real property before or when a real property transaction is occurring.

[0043] It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale and that the disclosed embodiments are sometimes illustrated diagrammatical and in partial views. In certain instances, details which are not necessary for an understanding of this disclosure or which render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted. It should be understood, of course, that this disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein. The term “transaction,” as used herein and the appended claims, includes granting a lease, selling, transferring, conveying, transferring real property, granting a mortgage, granting a lien, or any other encumbrance or action which affects any type of interest, obligation, etc., with respect to that specific piece of real property. The term “registered user,” as used herein and the appended claims, includes any individual, any partner, partnership or any authorized representative of a legal entity who has registered with the verified real estate registration system. The term “legal entity” as used herein and the appended claims, includes any limited liability company, any professional limited liability company, any corporation, any trust, any estate or any other entity of ownership.

[0044] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0045] The present invention will be understood by reference to the following detailed description, which should be read in conjunction with the appended drawings. It is to be appreciated that the following detailed description of an embodiment is by way of example only and is not meant to limit, in any way, the scope of the present disclosure.

[0046] At the outset, it should be appreciated that like drawing numbers on different drawing views identify identical, or functionally similar, structural elements of the invention. While the present invention is described with respect to what is presently considered to be the preferred aspects, it is to be understood that the invention as claimed is not limited to the disclosed aspects. Furthermore, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the particular methodology, materials and modifications described and, as such, may, of course, vary. It is also understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, which is limited only by the appended claims. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods, devices or materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the invention, the preferred methods, devices, and materials are now described.

[0047] First with reference to Fig. 23, an example computer networked environment, for implementing the present disclosure, will now be briefly provided. The verified real estate registration system comprises one or more computer or servers and a network interface via which the verified real estate registration system 2 is connected to a network N (e.g., the Internet, a wide area network, a local area network, or some other network). The verified real estate registration system 2 is configured to communicate over the network N with one or more third party service providers TPSP, e.g., Plaid (only one of which is shown), with one or more government data bases GDB (only one of which is shown), and with a plurality of client devices CD1 , CD2, CD3, CD4....CDZ (e.g., smartphones, laptops, desktops, consoles, computers, networked wearables, and / or the like,associated with a respective user). One or more of the client devices CD1 , CD2, 0D3, CD4....CDZ may be connected or otherwise communicate with a printer for printing the certificates, as described herein. Each client device, e.g., CD1 , CD2, CD3, CD4...CDZ, has a camera (not shown in detail) to assist with communicating, uploading and registering with the verified real estate registration system 2. One or more of the client devices, e.g., CD1 , CD2, CD3, CD4....CDZ, may communicate with a printer for printing one or more of the certificates (e.g., Warning Notice(s) 6 or Certificate(s) of Identity 74) as described herein.

[0048] A client device, e.g., CD1 , CD2, CD3, CD4....CDZ (which may be referred to herein as a user device) may host a browser (which may be used to access, from a remote server, such as the verified real estate registration system 2 to enable a user to provide information, data, photos, facial images (such as biometrics, fingerprints, etc.) instructions, etc.) and / or a control application (e.g., an “app” downloaded from an application (“app”) store to the client device, e.g., CD1 , CD2, CD3, CD4....CDZ, for execution that provides the functionality described herein). The verified real estate registration system 2, after a user has registered, may provide and / or populate various fields of user interfaces during use.

[0049] The verified real estate registration system 2 may store real property, names, addresses, and personal information of a registered user records, as described herein. As noted above, the verified real estate registration system 2 may transmit to and / or access information from one or more governmental and / or private database systems or one or more third party service providers TPSP. According to this disclosure, the verified real estate registration system 2 attaches a property owner’s identifying characteristics to his / her / its property without revealing such characteristics and the verified real estate registration system 2 notifies the public of such registration. In addition, blockchain technology may be utilized the system to improve its security.

[0050] Now turning to Fig. 1 , a brief description concerning the various features of the present disclosure will now be briefly discussed. As can be seen, this embodiment generally relates to a verified real estate registration system 2 atwhich a user first registers, on a login page 4 of the website of the verified real estate registration system 2, for example, and subsequently verifies the identity of the person registering at the website of the verified real estate registration system 2. Once the identity of the person registering at the website has been verified by the verified real estate registration system 2, the website then permits the user to generate one or more Warning Notice(s) 6 (see Fig. 12), the purpose of which will be described below in further detail, which can be appended to and form part of any legal documentation which is recorded with any local, state, federal or other government authority, concerning a specific piece of real property, in order to provide (written) notice to anybody searching, reviewing, abstracting, etc., the ownership records or title, recorded with the local, state, federal or other government authority concerning that specific piece of real property, to inform a third party that the individual, the partner, the partnership or other legal entity seeking to grant a lease, sell, convey, transfer real property, grant a mortgage, grant a lien, or otherwise encumber or affect any type of interest, obligation, etc., with respect to that specific piece of real property that has been registered with the verified real estate registration system 2. In view of such warning notice, it is thus incumbent on the third party to be cautious and to verify the identity of the individual, the partner, the partnership or other legal entity seeking to grant the lease, sell, convey, transfer the real property, grant the mortgage, grant the lien, or otherwise encumber or affect any type of interest, obligation, etc., in that specific piece of real property. That is, the individual, the partner, the partnership or other legal entity seeking to grant the lease, sell, convey, transfer the real property, grant the mortgage, grant the lien, or otherwise encumber or affect any type of interest, obligation, etc., concerning that specified piece of real property is, in fact, the true, actual and current owner of the specified piece of real property, and not some fraudulent / unrelated person, imposter, partnership or legal entity attempting to scam or wrong an unsuspecting party.

[0051] In addition, once a person has registered with the verified real estate registration system 2, the verified real estate registration system 2 then permits the registered person to return to the website, verify his / her / its identity and thengenerate one or more Certificate(s) of Identity 74, which contain a QR Code 78 (see Fig. 20) that was generated at the website of the verified real estate registration system 2 and confirms that the individual, or the authorized representative of the partnership or other legal entity seeking to grant the lease, sell, convey, transfer the real property, grant the mortgage, grant the lien, or otherwise encumber or affect any type of interest, obligation, etc., concerning that specified piece of real property is, in fact, the true, actual and current owner (or joint owner) of the specified piece of real property or is, in fact, the true actual and current authorized representative of the legal entity that owns the real property, and not some fraudulent / unrelated person, imposter, partnership or legal entity attempting to scam or wrong an unsuspecting party.

[0052] Initial Registration with the Verified Real Estate Registration System

[0053] As generally shown in Figs. 1 and 24, when an individual, a partner, a partnership or some other legal entity wants to sign up with the verified real estate registration system 2, the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity will navigate to the sign up, the start, or the log-in page 4 of the website of the verified real estate registration system 2 and, thereafter, enter some basic information 10 concerning the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity. For example, as shown in Fig. 1 of the sign in page 4, the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity will enter his or her legal first name 12, possibly the legal middle name or initial, the legal last name 16, the mother’s maiden name 18, a current email address 20, e.g., a user name, a desired password 22 for the website, and the person’s cell phone number 24 at the website of the verified real estate registration system 2 to commence the registration process. There may also be a field where the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity will confirm the accuracy of the entered password. It is to be appreciated that more or less basic information 10, such as eye color, hair color, height, etc., may be requested or required by the website in order to facilitate the initial phase of the registration process.

[0054] Once all of the basic information 10 of the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity has been properly entered, the user will then select the “sign up” button which will automatically log the user off the verified real estate registration system 2. At the same time, the verified real estate registration system 2 will then automatically send a “one time code” 26, e.g., two factor authentication, to the entered email address 20 of the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity who just initiated registration at the website of the verified real estate registration system 2. The user will then, when prompted, enter the “one time code” 26 which was just sent to the provided email address 20 of the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity and then select the “confirm” button, on the displayed screen, to confirm the registration (see Fig. 2). Assuming that the “one time code” 26 is correctly entered, the verified real estate registration system 2 will then continue to the phone number confirmation (see Fig. 3).

[0055] In the event that the “one time code” 26 was not properly received and / or incorrectly entered by the user, then the verified real estate registration system 2 will return to the original sign-up page 4 where the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity will be able to review, locate and / or correct any incorrectly entered information so that, once suitably corrected, the “one time code” 26, e.g., two factor authentication, can again be sent and correctly received by the entered email address and entered into the verified real estate registration system 2 (see Fig. 2) in order to proceed further with the registration process. As soon as the email address is confirmed, the verified real estate registration system 2 will then automatically send another “one time code” 26 to the entered phone number 24 of the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity who just initiated registration at the website of the verified real estate registration system 2. The user will then, when prompted, enter the “one time code” 26 which was just sent to the entered cell phone number 24 of the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity and then select the “confirm” button, on the displayed screen, to confirm the registration of the correct cell phone number (see Fig. 2A). Assuming that the “one time code”26 is correctly entered, the verified real estate registration system 2 will then continue to the next phase of the registration process. In the event that the “one time code” 26 was not properly received and / or incorrectly entered by the user, then the verified real estate registration system 2 will return back to the original sign-up page 4 where the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity will be able to review, locate and / or correct any incorrectly entered information so that, once suitably corrected, the “one time code” 26 can again be sent and correctly received by the entered phone number 24 and, thereafter, entered into the verified real estate registration system 2 (see Fig. 2A) in order to proceed further with the registration process. It is to be appreciated that the order of confirmation, e.g., confirming the entered cell phone number 24 before confirming the entered email address 20, can change without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

[0056] Next, the verified real estate registration system 2 will navigate to a security question screen (see Fig. 3) which requests the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity to select one or more security questions 28, e.g., from a drop down menu 32 or create his or her own security questions, and also provide answers 30 to the selected security questions 28 that are known only by the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity. The security questions 28 can be, for example: what was your favorite food as a child?; in which city did you meet your spouse / significant other?; what was the name of the first school you attended?; what was your childhood nickname?; what was the name of your favorite pet?; what is your oldest cousin’s first name?; which school did you attend in sixth grade?; what is the middle name of your youngest child?; etc. The individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity will then select desired ones of the security questions 28, from the drop down menu 32 and, thereafter, enter an appropriate answer 30 to each one of the selected security questions 28. For security reasons, typically between 3 to 5 (or possibly more) security questions 28 will be selected by and suitably answered by the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity registering at the website. The security questionsand answers, which only the user will know and remember, are encrypted and stored in a secure database of the verified real estate registration system 2. At this stage, the verified real estate registration system may provide a progress report to the end user concerning the status of his or her registration, e.g., your identity verification is almost complete. It is to be appreciated that all of the information, entered by the user into the verified real estate registration system 2, is encrypted and stored in a secure database of the verified real estate registration system 2.

[0057] Next, the verified real estate registration system 2 will then ask the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity to verify his or her identity using a government issued ID 34, which is accessible to the individual or the authorized representative of the entity (see Figs. 4, 5 and 5A). The individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity will first enter, on an associated display screen, the country 36 which issued the government issued ID 34. For ease of use, the desired country 36 may be selected from a drop down menu, for example (see Fig. 5). Next, the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity will then select the specific type of government issued ID 34 which is being relied upon for the identity verification (see Fig. 5A). That is, the issued government issued ID 34 may be, for example: a driver’s license, a state ID, a passport, a passport card, a permanent resident card, a temporary visa, non-citizen travel documentation, or some other form of a government issued ID 34. After the government issued ID 34 is selected and entered, the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity will then upload a picture 40 (typically of both the front and the back - see Figs. 6 and 6A) of his or her government issued ID 34, in a conventional manner. The verified real estate registration system 2 will then commence scanning / processing of the uploaded government issued ID 34 in order to extract desired information and details therefrom, e.g., the legal name, the address, the license number, the passport number, etc., in a conventional manner. It is conceivable that the uploaded government issued ID 34 may be either a current image, contemporaneously generated during the registration process, or it may bea stored image which is retrieved from a storage device or from some other memory.

[0058] The verified real estate registration system 2 will also require the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity, to look or stare into an associated camera of a cell phone, an internal camera of the computer, a camera linked to the computer, etc., by which the user is accessing the website in order to collect at least a selfie as well as profile and facial features 42 of the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity (see Fig. 7). The profile and facial features may include other biometrics, such as eye color, hair color, a retina scan, finger print recognition, voice recognition, and / or other physical characteristics, which assist with accurately verifying the identity of the individual currently registering with the verified real estate registration system 2. During this process, the verified real estate registration system 2 will typically require the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity to look directly at the center of the camera initially and, thereafter, instruct the user to then move his or her head gradually toward the left and then toward the right (and possibly up and down) so that the profile and features of the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity may be sufficiently scanned and collected by the verified real estate registration system 2. Once the facial features 42 of the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity have been sufficiently and adequately collected by the verified real estate registration system 2, the verified real estate registration system 2 will acknowledge the same to the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity, in a conventional manner. However, in the event that the profile and / or features of the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity have not been adequately collected by the verified real estate registration system 2, then the verified real estate registration system 2 will prompt the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity to reinitiate the collection process of the profile and facial features 42 until such profile and features of the individual, the partner or the authorized 1representative of the legal entity have been sufficiently scanned and collected by the verified real estate registration system 2.

[0059] The verified real estate registration system 2 will then verify - using currently available technology which extracts the desired information from the government issued ID 34 and the scanned and collected images of the profile and facial features 42 of the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity -- whether or not such scanned and collected information matches a verified government source and thereby verifies that the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the entity is, in fact, the person currently registering at the website of the verified real estate registration system 2. In particular, the verified real estate registration system 2 utilizes the selfie and / or the collected biometrics to check with a third party, such as Plaid which is typically integrated into the verified real estate registration system 2, to check and verify that the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity identity matches the entered and scanned ID and biometrics.

[0060] Once the above verification process has occurred, the verified real estate registration system 2 will then prompt the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity to enter a variety of other desired personal information 44 concerning the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity (see Fig. 8). It is to be appreciated that some of the fields may have been pre-populated, e.g., the first and the last name of the user. For example, the verified real estate registration system 2 will ask the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity to enter his or her date of birth 46, e.g., month, day, and year of birth, his or her Social Security number 48, the address at which the user (person) registering currently lives 50, including the street number, any suite or apartment number, etc., the city, the state and the zip code. The verified real estate registration system 2 can, thereafter, verify the truth and the accuracy of the all of entered information a third party service, Plaid for example, which is integrated with the verified real estate registration system 2.

[0061] After entering all of the above requested additional personal information 44, 46, 48, 50, the user then selects the “continue” button. This completes the registration process at the website of the verified real estate registration system 2 and such completion is confirmed to the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity. For example, the verified real estate registration system 2 may provide a notice 50 to the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity to that effect, e.g., “Congratulations, you’re done! Thanks for verifying your identity” (see Fig. 8A). Thereafter, as described below in further detail, the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the entity is now able to utilize the verified real estate registration system 2 to assist with safely and securely completing any desired real estate transaction.

[0062] Registration of Properties Owned by Registered Individual or Entity

[0063] Following registration of the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity with the website of the verified real estate registration system 2, the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity can then access a “registration” page and register one or more previously acquired real properties with the verified real estate registration system 2 (see Fig. 9 and Fig. 25). In order to register, the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity may either continue to the next page, or possibly be required to log-in to the website of the verified real estate registration system 2 - if that person is not currently logged into the website - and then navigate to the real property registration screen 52 of the website where each desired piece of real property of the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity may be registered with the verified real estate registration system 2. During the registration process, the verified real estate registration system 2 will typically first inquire, at screen 54 (see Fig. 10), if the real property to be registered is: 1 ) a condominium, 2) a 1 to 3 family house, 3) a mixed-use building, 4) a vacant land, 5) a commercial building, or 6) some other real property. The registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity willselect an appropriate one of the above indicated real estate designations and then select the “continue” button. On the next screen (see Fig. 10A), the location of the real property 56 is to be entered, e.g., the street address, the city, the state, the zip code, along with any block, lot, or parcel ID number, etc. (of the real property which is to be registered), by the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity and then the “continue” button is selected. It is to be noted that, with respect to each property registered with the verified real estate registration system 2, the verified real estate registration system 2 will independently verify that the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity, in fact, owns the property at the time of registration,

[0064] For that entered piece of real property, the verified real estate registration system 2 also permits the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity to indicate whether the entered real property is “locked” or “unlocked.” In the event that the entered piece of real property is “unlocked”, this state indicates that the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity intends to rent / lease the registered real property, sell the registered real property, transfer the registered real property, mortgage the registered real property, permit a lien on the registered real property and / or permit the registered real property to be encumbered or otherwise affected. In the event that the entered piece of real property is “locked”, then this state will indicate that the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity does not intend to rent / lease the registered real property, sell the registered real property, transfer the registered real property, mortgage the registered real property, permit a lien on the registered real property and / or permit the registered real property to be encumbered or otherwise affected until such time as the real property in question is eventually “unlocked” by the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity. When the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity “unlocks” a specific piece of registered real property, the registered individual, the authorized representative ofthe partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity may unlock the registered real property for a specific purpose (e.g., unlocked to rent / lease the registered real property, unlocked to sell the registered real property, unlocked to mortgage the registered real property, etc.) or may unlock the registered real property for any general purpose. Accordingly, the verified real estate registration system 2 will, for each registered piece of real property, indicate the particular state, e.g., locked or unlocked, and, if unlocked, will indicate the specific reason why the registered real property is unlocked.

[0065] The verified real estate registration system 2 will then inquire, at screen 58 (see Fig. 10B), on the next page, if the real property being entered: 1 ) is already owned by the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity, or 2) is currently in the process of being purchased by the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity. The registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity will enter the answer to that question and then select the “continue” button. On a subsequent page (see Fig. 10C), the verified real estate registration system 2 will inquire if the real property 60 is, or will be, owned by: 1 ) an individual (e.g., my name), 2) a partnership, 3) a limited liability company, 4) a corporation, 5) a trust, or 6) an estate or some other entity of ownership. The registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity will then select the appropriate designation which correctly identifies the individual, the partnership, the trust, the estate or other type of legal entity which owns, or will own, the real property in question and then selects the “continue” button.

[0066] On the next page (see Fig. 10D), the verified real estate registration system 2 will inquire, at screen 64, if the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity either solely or jointly owns the previously purchased real property or the real property that is currently in the process of being purchased. If the previously purchased real property or the real property, which is currently in the process of being purchased, is solely owned, then the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of theregistered entity enters this selection and selects the “continue” button. Otherwise, the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity selects the “not the sole owner” designation and then selects the “continue” button to proceed to the next screen which prompts the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity to enter the full legal name 66 of each co-owner and a current email address and / or mailing address 68 of each co-owner of the real property which is to be registered (see Fig. 11 ), and possibly other information.

[0067] For each partnership, limited liability company, corporation or trust that owns or will own a piece of real property, the individual registering will enter the name of the limited liability company, the partnership, entity or trust, the year and state of incorporation (if any), the tax ID number of the partnership, the limited liability company, the entity or the trust, the street address, the city, the state, and the zip code of the limited liability company, the partnership, the entity or the trust , etc. The verified real estate registration system 2 will then inquire about which position the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity holds, whether or not the individual registering has any ownership interest in the partnership, the limited liability company, the entity or the trust and owner’s legal name. The verified real estate registration system 2 will then inquire whether the individual registering has any significant responsibility for managing the partnership, the limited liability company, the entity or the trust as well as whether any authority to sell, purchase, mortgage, collateralize, lease or rent the registered real property of the partnership, the limited liability company, the entity or the trust. The verified real estate registration system 2 will also inquire whether the individual registering has any authority to sign for, or bind, the entity to a "Major Event Document" such as a deed(s), a mortgage(s), a loan agreement(s), a contract(s) and a lease(s) and inquire whether the authorization of the individual registering is bound by time or indefinite. The verified real estate registration system 2 will then require the individual registering to upload at least 2 documents for the partnership, the limited liability company,the entity or the trust. For a corporation, the uploaded documents may be, for example, a filed Certificate of Incorporation, By-laws, a Shareholder Agreement, filed federal Income Tax Return(s) (e.g., first 10 pages), a recent K-1 form, bank statement(s). For a trust, the uploaded documents may be, for example, a Trust Agreement, the social security number of the trust, a filed federal Income Tax Return (e.g., first 10 pages), a recent K-1 , bank statement(s), etc. For a partnership, the uploaded documents may be, for example, a filed Certificate of Registration of Partnership, a Partnership Agreement, a social security number of the partnership, a filed federal Income Tax Return (e.g., first 10 pages), a K-1 form, bank statement(s), etc. The verified real estate registration system 2 can then ensure the authenticity and accuracy of these documents through its proprietary Al based software which is designed to detect forge and / or altered documents. The verified real estate registration system 2 also cross-verifies certain information with various sources and third party partners. The verified real estate registration system 2 will then verify the documents before allowing the individual registering to proceed further. At the end of each entry, the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity will then select the “continue” button.

[0068] After completing entry of a first real property 60 to be entered into the stored data of the verified real estate registration system 2, the verified real estate registration system 2 will then inquire if the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity has another real property to be entered into the verified real estate registration system 2. If there are one or more additional real properties to be entered into the verified real estate registration system 2, the above registration process is again repeated for each piece of real property which is to be registered with the verified real estate registration system 2. When no additional real properties are to be entered into the verified real estate registration system 2, the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity then selects the “continue” button. Thereafter, the verified real estate registration system 2 will generate a“Congratulation” notice, or some similar notification 70, which indicates that each entered piece of real property has been registered with the verified real estate registration system 2 (see Fig. 12A). It is also to be appreciated that the entry of real property into the verified real estate registration system 2 can be done at various different times during and after the initial registration process with departing from the spirt and scope of the present disclosure.

[0069] Once all of the owned real property or real property currently in the process of being purchased has been registered with the verified real estate registration system 2, then the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity is able to print one or more Warning Notice(s) 6 (see Fig. 12) which confirms and notifies the public that the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity has been verified with the verified real estate registration system 2 and is the current owner (or possibly the current joint owner or co-owner) of the real property in question.

[0070] In the event that the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity is currently in the process of purchasing real property, the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity can access the website of the verified real estate registration system 2 and print a Warning Notice(s) 6 that is to be affixed to the deed of each real property transaction of the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity so that such Warning Notice 6 is recorded along with the associated deed, the mortgage, the discharge, the lien, the loan, the lease, or any other instrument or document being recorded in the chain of title of a piece of real property. Alternatively, if the real property has already been purchased by the registered individual, the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity, then the Warning Notice 6 can be subsequently recorded in the chain of title, by itself or together with the recordable documents, with respect to each piece of real property which is registered with the verified real estate registration system 2 so that such Warning Notice 6 is recorded in the chain of title of each piece of registered real propertythat was previously purchased and registered with the verified real estate registration system 2 and, thereafter, provides notice to the public, e.g., any third party or parties, that he / she / it / they must verify the identity of the owner of the registered real property in order to protect himself / herself / itself / themselves from potential fraud.

[0071] The Warning Notice 6 informs buyers, lenders, tenants and all other interested parties that the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity has registered his / her identity with the verified real estate registration system 2. The Warning Notice 6 instructs buyers, lenders, tenants and all other interested parties to request that the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity obtain, from the verified real estate registration system 2, a verification of identity during any real property transaction. The QR code 8 of the Warning Notice 6 is scannable to authenticate the Warning Notice (i.e., to confirm that the verified real estate registration system 2 generated the Warning Notice).

[0072] After completing the registration process, the verified real estate registration system 2 also offers each one of the registered individuals, the registered partnerships and / or the registered legal entities with the opportunity to subscribe to the verified real estate registration system 2 for a predetermined fee and obtain any desired Warning Notice(s) 6 and / or Certificate(s) of Identity 74 as may be required or desired in the future (see Fig. 12A). The registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity either proceeds to the payment portal or, if logged off, must again log-in to the verified real estate registration system 2 and then navigate through the various screens to select the desired payment plan, e.g., pay the full amount, pay over 3 months, pay over 6 months, pay over 12 months, pay over 24 months, etc., for subscribing to the verified real estate registration system 2. Once the desired payment plan is selected, the verified real estate registration system 2 then provides the registered individual or the authorized representative of the registered entity with the opportunity to pay for the protection plan in a conventional manner,via a conventional secure payment system, which is well known in the art, once the “pay now” button is selected.

[0073] Transfer, Convey or Otherwise Encumber Registered Real Estate

[0074] As generally shown in Figs. 13 and 26, when the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity wants to convey, transfer or otherwise encumber any registered real property, the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity will sign in at the log in page 4’ of the verified real estate registration system 2, e.g., enter the email address and associated password of the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity in order to gain access to the website of the verified real estate registration system 2.

[0075] After the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity gains access to the website, the verified real estate registration system 2 will then display all of the real properties 72 which are currently registered as being owned (either solely or jointly) by the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity (see Fig. 13A - only one of which is shown in this figure). The registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity can then select a desired one of the properties which is / are currently registered as being owned (either solely or jointly) by the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity. After selecting a desired one of the registered properties, the verified real estate registration system 2 will then display a disclaimer 73 (see Fig. 14), e.g., before you generate your Certificate(s) of Identity 74 which generally indicates that you should note that you only need to produce the Certificate if someone requests it while you were trying to complete a transaction relating to one of your properties. It is important to keep this Certificate in a safe place, and only provide it to the interested party. If you have any questions or need help, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at help@landlocked.com or info@landlock.com. Before the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or theauthorized representative of the registered legal entity can proceed any further, the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity will be required to acknowledge the risks associated with misplacing and misusing the Certificate(s) of Identity 74, e.g., by checking a box indicating the same. It is to be noted that the status of the real property in question must be changed to an unlocked state in order to complete the desired real property transaction.

[0076] After the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity checks the associated “disclaimer box”, for example, and then selects the “continue” button, the verified real estate registration system 2 will navigate to a general information page of the website of the verified real estate registration system 2 where the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity is required to enter some of the basic information 10 concerning the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity. For example, as shown in Fig. 15, the general information page may require entry of the legal first name 12, the legal middle name or initial, the legal last name 16, the mother’s maiden name 18, the social security number 48, the month, day and year of birth 46 of the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity. More or less information may be requested from the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity by the verified real estate registration system 2.

[0077] Thereafter, the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity selects the “continue” button and the verified real estate registration system 2 then proceeds to the security question page (see Fig. 16) where the verified real estate registration system 2 will display at least one, and more preferably three or more of the security questions 28 which are to be correctly answered by the registeredT1individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity or possibly require the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity to select preferably three or more of the security questions 28 which are to be correctly answered. The registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity then enters the correct answer 30 to each one of the displayed security questions 28 and selects the “continue” button to proceed to the next screen. If the answers provided at this stage do not match the answers previously provided during the account creation, then the person visiting the website is not allowed to proceed any further. For additional security, the verified real estate registration system 2 may display different security questions 28 each time the website is accessed by the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity.

[0078] The verified real estate registration system 2 then compares the entered answers to the security questions 28, to each one of the previously responded to and saved answers 30 to the security questions 28, in order to verify whether or not the entered answers correctly match the previously stored answers and confirm the identity of the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity.

[0079] Assuming the identity is confirmed, then the verified real estate registration system 2 proceeds to the next step where the verified real estate registration system 2 asks the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity to verify his or her identity using his or her government issued ID 34 (see Fig. 17). The registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity first enters, on an associated display screen, the country 36 which issued the government issued ID 34 (see Fig. 17A). For ease of use, the desired country may be selected from a drop down menu, for example. Next, the registered individual, the authorizedrepresentative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity will then enter the specific type of government issued ID 34 which is being relied upon for the identity verification (see Fig. 17B). That is, the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity will indicate whether the issued government ID is one of: 1 ) a driver’s license, 2) a state ID, 3) a passport, 4) a passport card, 5) a permanent resident card, 6) non-citizen travel documentation, 7) a temporary visa, or 8) some other form of government issued ID 34. After the government issued ID 34 is selected, then a picture 40 (typically of both the front and the back) of his or her government issued ID 34 (see Fig. 17C) is uploaded to the verified real estate registration system 2. The verified real estate registration system 2 will then commence scanning / processing of the uploaded government issued ID 34 in order to extract the desired information and details of the person therefrom (see Fig. 17D), in a conventional manner. The uploaded government issued ID 34 may be either a current image, generated on the spot, or an image retrieved from a stored file or some other memory.

[0080] The verified real estate registration system 2 will then require the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity to look or stare into an associated camera of a cell phone, an internal camera of the computer or a camera linked to the computer in order to collect profile, facial, or other biometric features 42 of the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity (see Fig. 18). During this scanning process, the verified real estate registration system 2 will typically require the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity to look directly at the center of the camera initially and then gradually move his / her head toward the left and then toward the right (and possibly up and down) so that the profile and features of the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity may be scanned and collected by the verified real estate registration system 2. Once the facial features42 or other biometrics of the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity have been sufficiently and adequately collected by the verified real estate registration system 2, then the verified real estate registration system 2 will acknowledge the same to the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity.

[0081] The verified real estate registration system 2 will then verify - using currently available technology which extracts the desired information from the government issued ID 34 and the scanned and collected images of the profile and facial features 42 of the individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity -- whether or not such collected information matches a verified government source and thereby verifies that the individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity is, in fact, the person currently visiting the website of the verified real estate registration system 2. In the event that the scanned and collected facial features 42 of the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity do not match, then the person visiting the website is not allowed to proceed any further.

[0082] Assuming that the verification process of the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity has been verified, then the verified real estate registration system 2 will generate a notice indicating that the verification process is complete (see Fig. 19). The registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity can also then select a desired one of the registered real properties and generate a desired Certificate(s) of Identity 74 for use with transacting, conveying, transferring or otherwise encumbering or affecting one of the registered real properties (see Fig. 20).

[0083] Each Certificate(s) of Identity 74 will typically certify that the named individual is the legitimate owner of the real property and identify the currentlyowned real property by identifying the street address, the city, the state and the zip code of the real property to be sold, conveyed, transferred, mortgaged, leased / rented or otherwise encumbered. Each Certificate(s) of Identity 74 will also indicate that the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity has been verified by a stringent identity verification process. The Certificate(s) of Identity 74 may also indicate the date that the Certificate(s) of Identity 74 was generated and possibly an expiration date of the Certificate(s) of Identity 74. Notably, each Certificate of Identity 74 will include an associated QR code 78, bar code, identification number or other method of conveying a variety of information. Once the Certificate of Identity 74 is created, the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity may either print a copy of the Certificate(s) of Identity 74 or download or send an electronic version of the Certificate(s) of Identity 74 to his / her smart phone or directly to any party interested in the real property, for example, and use the same to transact business with respect to the registered real property.

[0084] It is to be noted that a Certificate of Identity 74 is generated any time that the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity is about to lease, rent, sell, transfer, mortgage, etc., one of the registered real properties. The Certificate of Identity 74 can be sent or delivered via email, text, paper, etc., to any and all parties involved in the transaction at hand, e.g., the rent / lease of the registered real property, the sale of registered real property, the transfer of the registered real property, the mortgage of the registered real property, permit a lien on the registered real property and / or permit the registered real property to be encumbered or otherwise affected. As noted above, the Certificate of Identity 74 also contains a QR Code 78 and the main purpose of scanning the QR Code 78 on the Certificate of Identity 74 is to inform all parties, involved in the real property transaction at hand, that the Certificate of Identity 74 is either valid (i.e., was generated by the verified real estate registration system 2) or invalid (was not generated by the verified real estate registration system 2). This provides all of the parties involved in the real property transaction with assurance that they aredealing with the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity who previously registered with the verified real estate registration system 2.

[0085] The associated QR code 78 of the Certificate(s) of Identity 74 may be scanned, for example, by a conventional cell phone of a third-party such as by personnel at a bank, a title company, or any interested third party that needs to authenticate the Certificate(s) of Identity 74. In order to authenticate the Certificate(s) of Identity 74, the third party may visit the website verify.landlock.com and scan the QR code 8 printed on the face of the Warning Notice(s) 6, as generally shown in Fig. 21. This can be done in a conventional manner using a camera of a conventional smart phone, and navigating to the verify.landlock.com website. Thereafter, the end-user will take a picture of the QR code 78 with the camera of the smart phone, for example, and, provided that the associated QR code 78 is a valid code, the verified real estate registration system 2 website will display a message indicating that the QR code 78 is invalid or valid 82 (see Fig. 22) and will also identify relevant information 80, e.g., the street address, the city, the state and the zip code of the verified real property as well as other information indicating the current owner of the real property, the date of birth, etc. In the event that the QR code 78 is not valid, the website of the verified real estate registration system 2 will display a message indicating that the QR code 78 is NOT valid. Such message is a warning to the third party not to proceed with the contemplated real property transaction as fraud may be occurring.

[0086] Such scanning of the QR code 78 will also inform the person whether or not the piece of real property in question is either in an “unlocked” state, which indicates that the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity intends to rent / lease the registered real property, sell the registered real property, transfer the registered real property, mortgage the registered real property, permit a lien on the registered real property and / or permit the registered real property to be encumbered or otherwise affected, or in a “locked” state, which indicates that the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity does not intend to rent / lease the registered real property, sell theregistered real property, transfer the registered real property, mortgage the registered real property, permit a lien on the registered real property and / or permit the registered real property to be encumbered or otherwise affected. In the event that the real property in question is in a “locked” state, the notice will indicate that the registered real property is locked, e.g., “Property Locked and the Property Owner has not authorized a sale, mortgage, leasing, and / or rental of this real property. Before performing any transaction regarding this real property, please ask the Property Owner to change the status of this real property from “Locked” to “Unlocked”. Please also note that the Property Owner must also obtain a Certificate of Identification from Landlock N.A., Inc.” Accordingly, before completing any transaction regarding such “locked” real property, the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity will have to unlock the real property in question prior to granting of a lease, selling, conveying or transferring of real property, granting of a mortgage, granting of a lien, or otherwise encumbering or affecting of the real property in question.

[0087] The verified real estate registration system 2 will, at the same time that it is sending a message to the person indicating whether or not the scanned QR code 8 is valid or invalid, also send a message automatically to the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity indicating that the associated QR code 8, printed on the face of the Warning Notice(s) 6, was just scanned by somebody. In the event that the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity is, in fact, actively involved in granting a lease, selling, conveying or transferring real property, granting a mortgage, granting a lien, or otherwise encumbering or affecting an owned piece of real property, then such notification, from the verified real estate registration system 2, will signify that the contemplated transaction is proceeding and not raise any concerns. However, in the event that the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity is not actively involved in granting a lease, selling, conveying or transferring real property, granting a mortgage, granting a lien, or otherwise encumbering oraffecting one of his or her pieces of real property, then this will be a red flag which can be promptly acted upon in order to prevent fraud from occurring, e.g., closely monitor the real property in question. A sample notice may indicate, for example, that “We wanted to let you know that someone is currently viewing the title of your real property located at [property street address, city and state], IP Address: [relevant IP address of visiting person], Location [approximately determined location of visiting person], and Device [determined device or person visiting the website]. If you're not selling, mortgaging, leasing or renting this real property, then Landlock recommends that you closely monitor the title of this real property.”

[0088] By logging into the website of the verified real estate registration system 2, correctly entering the basic information 10, correctly answering the posed security questions 28, and successfully uploading a government issued ID 34 and scanning facial / biometric features or details 42 which accurately compare to the scanned government ID 34, then such process permits the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity access to the stored data at the website of the verified real estate registration system 2. Any time such access is gained, the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity may add or delete one or more owned real properties or one or more real properties which are currently in the process of being purchased, print one or more Warning Notices 6 for each owned real property or real property which is in the process of being purchased, either lock or unlock (for a general or a specific purpose), as necessary, each one of the real properties which are registered with the verified real estate registration system 2, and print or send one or more Certificates of Identity 74 to assist with verifying the identity of the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity in order to complete the desired real property transaction concerning one of the registered real properties. It is to be appreciated that the QR code 8, on the Warning Notice 6, is linked to that specific property so that any time somebody scans that associated QR code 8, they received generally the same information. The only variable is thecurrent status of the real property in question, e.g., whether that property is either locked or unlocked, which can be updated depending upon the intention of the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity of the specific piece of real property.

[0089] The QR code 8 or 78 may also be a unique identification number, (e.g., an 18 digit number) which can be entered at the verified real estate registration system 2 to confirm that the individual, the partnership or the legal entity is the current owner (or possibly the current joint owner or co-owner) of the real property in question and also verify the identity of the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity in order to complete the desired real property transaction concerning the real property in question.

[0090] It is to be understood that the present invention can be implemented in various forms of hardware, software, firmware, special purpose processes, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the disclosure may be implemented in software as an application program tangible embodied on a computer readable program storage device. The application program can be uploaded to, and executed by, a machine comprising any suitable architecture.

[0091] Reference has been made to illustrations representing methods and systems according to implementations of this disclosure. Aspects thereof may be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special purpose computer, or some other programmable data processing apparatus and / or distributed processing systems having processing circuitry, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions / operations specified in the illustrations.

[0092] One or more processors can be utilized to implement various functions and / or algorithms described herein. Additionally, any functions and / or algorithms described herein can be performed upon one or more virtual processors. Thevirtual processors, for example, may be part of one or more physical computing systems such as a computer farm or a cloud drive.

[0093] Aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented by software logic, including machine readable instructions or commands for execution via processing circuitry. The software logic may also be referred to, in some examples, as machine readable code, software code, or programming instructions. The software logic, in certain embodiments, may be coded in runtime-executable commands and / or compiled as a machine-executable program or file. The software logic may be programmed in and / or compiled into a variety of coding languages or formats.

[0094] Aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented by hardware logic (where hardware logic naturally also includes any necessary signal wiring, memory elements and such), with such hardware logic able to operate without active software involvement beyond initial system configuration and any subsequent system reconfigurations (e.g., for different object schema dimensions). The hardware logic may be synthesized on a reprogrammable computing chip such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other reconfigurable logic device. In addition, the hardware logic may be hard coded onto a custom microchip, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). In other embodiments, software, stored as instructions to a non-transitory computer-readable medium such as a memory device, on-chip integrated memory unit, or other non-transitory computer- readable storage, may be used to perform at least portions of the herein described functionality.

[0095] Various aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein are performed on one or more computing devices, such as a laptop computer, tablet computer, mobile phone or other handheld computing device, or one or more servers. Such computing devices include processing circuitry embodied in one or more processors or logic chips, such as a central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), field programmable gate array (FPGA), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or programmable logic device (PLD). Further, the processing circuitry may be implemented as multiple processors cooperativelyworking in concert (e.g., in parallel) to perform the instructions of the inventive processes described above.

[0096] The process data and instructions used to perform various methods and algorithms derived herein may be stored in non-transitory (i.e., non-volatile) computer-readable medium or memory. The claimed advancements are not limited by the form of the computer-readable media on which the instructions of the inventive processes are stored. For example, the instructions may be stored on CDs, DVDs, in FLASH memory, RAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, hard disk or any other information processing device with which the computing device communicates, such as a server or computer. The processing circuitry and stored instructions may enable the computing device to perform, in some examples, the method.

[0097] These computer program instructions can direct a computing device or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function / operation specified in the illustrated process flows.

[0098] While various embodiments of the disclosure have been described in detail, it is apparent that various modifications and alterations of those embodiments will occur to and be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be expressly understood that such modifications and alterations are within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure, as set forth in the appended claims. Further, the invention(s) described herein is / are capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various other related ways. In addition, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "including," "comprising," or "having," and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items while only the terms “consisting of” and “consisting only of” are to be construed in a limitative sense.

[0099] The foregoing description of the embodiments of the present disclosure has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of this disclosure. It is intended that the scope of the present disclosure be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by the claims appended hereto.

[0100] A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Although operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results.

Claims

Wherefore, I claim:1 . A verified real estate registration system for avoiding a fraudulent encumbrance occurring with respect to real property, the verified real estate registration system comprising: a website where an individual, an authorized representative of a partnership or an authorized representative of a legal entity registers with the verified real estate registration system; during registration, the individual, the authorized representative of partnership or the authorized representative of the legal entity initially enters basic information identifying the individual, the partnership or the authorized representative of the legal entity currently registering at the website; the individual, the authorized representative of partnership or the authorized representative of the legal entity subsequently supplies documentation, which is inputted and scanned by the verified real estate registration system and is sufficient to prove to the verified real estate registration system, that the person currently registering at the website is, in fact, the individual, the authorized representative of partnership or the authorized representative of the legal entity identified by the basic information; and once the identity of the individual, the authorized representative of partnership or the authorized representative of the legal entity is confirmed by the verified real estate registration system, the individual, the authorized representative of partnership or the authorized representative of the legal entity then becomes a registered individual, an authorized representative of the registered partnership or an authorized representative of a registered legal entity of the verified real estate registration system; the website of the verified real estate registration system permits the registered individual, the authorized representative of the registered partnership or the authorized representative of any registered legal entity to access the website and enter any real property, which is either solely or jointly owned by the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity, into a data base of the verified real estate registration system; the website of the verified real estate registration system also permits the registered individual, the authorized representative of the registered partnership or theauthorized representative of any registered legal entity to generate a warning notice with respect to any real property which is entered into the data base of the verified real estate registration system and either solely or jointly owned by the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity, and the warning notice including a QR code; and the warning notice being recordable in a chain of title with respect to any real property, which is either solely or jointly owned by the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity, so as to provide notice to a third party that the identity of the registered individual, the authorized representative of the registered partnership or the authorized representative of any registered legal entity is registered with the verified real estate registration system and the third party must verify such identity with the verified real estate registration system in order to avoid a fraudulent transaction occurring with respect to the real property having the warning notice recorded its chain of title.

2. The verified real estate registration system according to claim 1 , wherein the verified real estate registration system also permits the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity, following access to the website and verification of his or her identity, to generate a transfer certificate, which includes a QR code relating to real property to be encumbered, which is entered in the data base of the verified real estate registration system and indicated as being either solely or jointly owned by the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity, that confirms ownership of the specified real property in the name of the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity to a third party.

3. The verified real estate registration system according to claim 2, wherein, for each registered piece of real property, the verified real estate registration system permits the registered individual, the authorized representative of the registered partnership or the authorized representative of any registered legal entity to indicate whether the entered real property is locked or unlocked state, and the unlocked state indicates that the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity intends to rent / lease the registered piece of real property, sell the registered piece of real property, transfer the registered piece of real property, mortgage the registered piece of realproperty, permit a lien on the registered piece of real property and / or permit the registered piece of real property to be encumbered or otherwise affected while the locked indicates that the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity does not intend to rent / lease the registered piece of real property, sell the registered piece of real property, transfer the registered piece of real property, mortgage the registered piece of real property, permit a lien on the registered piece of real property and / or permit the registered piece of real property to be encumbered or otherwise affected.

4. The verified real estate registration system according to claim 3, wherein the supplied documentation of the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity is a government issued ID.

5. The verified real estate registration system according to claim 4, wherein the government issued ID is one of 1 ) a driver’s license, 2) a state ID, 3) a passport, 4) a passport card, 5) a permanent resident card, 6) non-citizen travel documentation, or 7) some other form of government issued ID.

6. The verified real estate registration system according to claim 1 , wherein the basic information comprises one or more of: a legal first name, a legal middle name or initial, a legal last name, a mother’s maiden name, a current email address, a desired password, and a phone number of the registered individual, the authorized representative of the registered partnership or the authorized representative of any registered legal entity.

7. The verified real estate registration system according to claim 1 , wherein after entering the basic information, but prior to supplying documentation, the verified real estate registration system automatically sends a one-time code to an entered email address of the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity who just initiated registration at the website, which must be entered in order to proceed further with registration on the verified real estate registration system.

8. The verified real estate registration system according to claim 7, wherein, after correctly entering the one time code, the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity selects a plurality of security questions and then provides answers to the selected security questions that are known only by the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity.

9. The verified real estate registration system according to claim 1 , wherein the supplied documentation of the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity is a government issued ID which comprises one of:1 ) a driver’s license,2) a state ID,3) a passport,4) a passport card,5) a permanent resident card,6) non-citizen travel documentation, or7) some other form of government issued ID.

10. The verified real estate registration system according to claim 9, wherein a picture of the government issued ID is upload to and scanned by the verified real estate registration system in order to extract desired information and details therefrom.11 . The verified real estate registration system according to claim 10, wherein the verified real estate registration system will also collect facial or other biometric features of the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity, and utilize the extracted desired information and details from the government issued ID to verify that the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the entity is, in fact, the person currently registering at the website of the verified real estate registration system.

12. The verified real estate registration system according to claim 11 , wherein, after verifying the identity of the person currently registering at the website of the verified real estate registration system, other personal information concerning the individual, the partner or the authorized representative of the legal entity is entered including at least one of a first name, a last name, a date of birth, a social security number, an address at which the person registering currently lives in order to complete registration and become the registered individual, the authorized representative of the registered partnership orthe authorized representative of any registered legal entity of the verified real estate registration system.

13. The verified real estate registration system according to claim 12, wherein, following registration, the registered individual, the authorized representative of the registered partnership or the authorized representative of any registered legal entity can register any previously acquired real property with the verified real estate registration system or register any real property to be acquired.

14. The verified real estate registration system according to claim 13, wherein, during the registration of any real property, the registered individual, the authorized representative of the registered partnership or the authorized representative of any registered legal entity indicates whether the real property to be registered is:1 ) a condominium,2) a 1 to 3 family house,3) a mixed-use building,4) vacant land,5) a commercial building, or6) some other real property, and enters at least one of a street address, a city, a state, and a zip code where the real property to be registered is located.

15. The verified real estate registration system according to claim 14, wherein, during the registration of any real property, the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity indicates whether the real property to be registered is: already owned, or currently in the process of being purchased; and further indicates if the real property to be registered is, or will be: solely owned, or jointly owned and also enters a name of each joint owner; and also indicates if the real property to be registered is, or will be, owned by: an individual, a partnership,a limited liability company, a corporation, a trust, or an estate.

16. The verified real estate registration system according to claim 15, wherein the verified real estate registration system also permits the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity, following access to the website and verification of his or her identify, to generate a warning notice, including a QR code relating to real property to be encumbered, which is entered in the data base of the verified real estate registration system and indicated as being either solely or jointly owned by the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity, that confirms ownership of the specified real property in the name of the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity to a third party.

17. The verified real estate registration system according to claim 16, wherein each warning notice notifies the public that the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal has registered his or her identity and ownership of the real property with the verified real estate registration system and instructs the public to request that the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal obtain proof of ownership of his or her identity from the verified real estate registration system to complete the real property transaction.

18. The verified real estate registration system according to claim 17, wherein the QR code of the transfer certificate or the warning notice may be scanned and inputted to the website of the verified real estate registration system, and the verified real estate registration system website will display: a message indicating whether or not the scanned QR code is valid or invalid; indicate at least one of relevant information concerning the real property, the current owner of the real property, a date of creation of the transfer certificate and an expiration date of the transfer certificate;indicate whether the real property is unlocked, which will permit encumbering or affecting title or ownership of the real property, or is locked, which will prevent encumbering or otherwise affecting title or ownership of the real property; and also send a message to the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity of the real property indicating that the QR code was just scanned by somebody.

19. A method of providing a verified real estate registration system for avoiding a fraudulent encumbrance occurring with respect to real property, the method comprising the steps of: providing a website where an individual, an authorized representative of a partnership or an authorized representative of a legal entity registers with the verified real estate registration system; during registration, the individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the legal entity entering basic information identifying the individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the legal entity currently registering at the website; the individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the legal entity subsequently supplying documentation, which is inputted and scanned by the verified real estate registration system and is sufficient to prove to the verified real estate registration system, that the person currently registering at the website is, in fact, the individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the legal entity identified by the basic information; and the individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the legal entity then becoming a registered individual, an authorized representative of a registered partnership or an authorized representative of a registered legal entity of the verified real estate registration system once the identity of the individual, the authorized representative of the registered partnership or the authorized representative of any registered legal entity is confirmed by the verified real estate registration system;the website of the verified real estate registration system permitting the registered individual, the authorized representative of the registered partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity to access the website and enter any real property, which is either solely or jointly owned by the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity, into a data base of the verified real estate registration system; the website of the verified real estate registration system also permitting the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity to generate a warning notice with respect to any real property which is entered into the data base of the verified real estate registration system and either solely or jointly owned by the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity, and the warning notice including a QR code; and recording the warning notice in a chain of title with respect to any real property, which is either solely or jointly owned by the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity, so as to provide notice to a third party that the identity of the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity is registered with the verified real estate registration system and the third party must verify such identity with the verified real estate registration system in order to avoid a fraudulent transaction occurring with respect to the real property having the warning notice recorded its chain of title.

20. The method of providing a verified real estate registration system for avoiding a fraudulent encumbrance occurring with respect to real property according to claim 19, further comprising the steps of the verified real estate registration system permitting the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity, following access to the website and verification of his or her identity, to generate a transfer certificate, which includes a QR code relating to real property to be encumbered, which is entered in the data base of the verified real estate registration system and indicated as being either solely or jointly owned by the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity, that confirms ownership of the specified real property in the name of the registered individual, the registered partnership or the registered legal entity to a third party, andthe verified real estate registration system permitting, for each registered piece of real property, the registered individual, the authorized representative of the partnership or the authorized representative of the registered entity to indicate whether the entered real estate property is locked or unlocked state, and the unlocked state indicating that the registered individual, the registered partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity intends to rent / lease the registered piece of real property, sell the registered piece of real property, transfer the registered piece of real property, mortgage the registered piece of real property, permit a lien on the registered piece of real property and / or permit the registered piece of real property to be encumbered or otherwise affected while the locked indicating that the registered individual, the registered partnership or the authorized representative of the registered legal entity does not intend to rent / lease the registered piece of real property, sell the registered piece of real property, transfer the registered piece of real property, mortgage the registered piece of real property, permit a lien on the registered piece of real property and / or permit the registered piece of real property to be encumbered or otherwise affected.

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