Asking for SS# at Closing

[Amy5000]

Hi all.

I'm in the process of purchasing 100 points at SSR in a resale contract. We are not financing contract. The title company has asked for us to include our SS#s after our signatures on the closing statement.

I don't usually give my ss# unless I feel there is a reason (like a person is extending credit to me).

Does anyone have any info on if this is required by Disney? Any other reason that either the closing company or Disney would need this information?

(I know Disney might want this information...but I don't think they should necessarily have this information).

Thanks in advance.

Amy

 

[Budshark]

Hi all.

I'm in the process of purchasing 100 points at SSR in a resale contract. We are not financing contract. The title company has asked for us to include our SS#s after our signatures on the closing statement.

I don't usually give my ss# unless I feel there is a reason (like a person is extending credit to me).

Does anyone have any info on if this is required by Disney? Any other reason that either the closing company or Disney would need this information?

(I know Disney might want this information...but I don't think they should necessarily have this information).

Thanks in advance.

Amy

I thought the same thing - but basically it comes down to you are having a recorded property deed assigned to you. There are tax liabilities, income tax benefits, and other ownership requirements that dictate Disney must have the SS#. Made sense to us.

Chris

 

[disneynutz]

Hi all.

I'm in the process of purchasing 100 points at SSR in a resale contract. We are not financing contract. The title company has asked for us to include our SS#s after our signatures on the closing statement.

I don't usually give my ss# unless I feel there is a reason (like a person is extending credit to me).

Does anyone have any info on if this is required by Disney? Any other reason that either the closing company or Disney would need this information?

(I know Disney might want this information...but I don't think they should necessarily have this information).

Thanks in advance.

Amy

DVC MS uses your SSN as part of your membership record. They require a SSN for each member. If someone really wanted my SSN there are a lot of ways to get it.

 

[Mtnman44]

I'm not sure about the OPs question, I'd double check with the closing company to see what is absolutely necessary.

As to the below statement, I can tell you that I specifically requested that my SS# NOT be included in my membership record. Loans, Taxes OK, but NOT included in my general membership record for MS use. I requested some other method of verification be used when calling MS. Although I have not tested it yet, my guide has confrimed to me that this request was honored.

DVC MS uses your SSN as part of your membership record. They require a SSN for each member. If someone really wanted my SSN there are a lot of ways to get it.

 

[Amy5000]

I thought the same thing - but basically it comes down to you are having a recorded property deed assigned to you. There are tax liabilities, income tax benefits, and other ownership requirements that dictate Disney must have the SS#. Made sense to us.

I don't see it. Sure if you sell, the title co needs it for withholding. But we are purchasing. I don't believe the town where we own our house has our ss#s. (And it would be a mistake to put your ss# on a public deed).

We take our R.E. taxes off based on what we pay to our town, but I don't believe they report that amount to the govt. Am I mistaken?

DVC MS uses your SSN as part of your membership record. They require a SSN for each member. If someone really wanted my SSN there are a lot of ways to get it.

I doubt they require a SSN for each member...after all, not all members are located in the U.S. I understand that several DVC members are from other countries, probably not citizens and thus not likely to have SSNs.

After considering this some more and reading your responses, I came across the following article:

http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Banking/FinancialPrivacy/P33718.asp

Which had some choice quotes:

"Who has the right to ask for your digits?While any business can ask for your Social Security number, there are very few entities that can actually demand it -- motor vehicle departments, tax departments and welfare departments, for example. Also, SSNs are required for transactions involving taxes, so that means banks, brokerages, employers, and the like also have a legitimate need for your SSN.

Most other businesses have no legal right to demand your number.

'There is no law prohibiting a business from asking for your Social Security number, but people don't know they can say no,' says Carolyn Cheezum of the Social Security Administration."

I really don't think me giving Disney my ss# will make me significantly more vulnerable to identity theft. I think I'm already at risk. I guess I'm just getting more senstitive about it. I recently ordered an incredibly expensive lab test for my DS (over $800) that was not covered by my insurance. I sent the lab a check for payment but their form still asked for both DS and my SS#. (I didn't give it).

Disney wants the info for the same reason that the lab wants it. Businesses want our ss# to make their job easier if they are ever in a situation where they need to come after us. I'm an above board person. I pay my taxes and bills. I try to do the right thing (e.g. we're going to Disney the week of my DDs 3rd b-day. I'm going to buy her a ticket for the last 2 days of the week just b/c it would be wrong to just sneak her in b/c she's small). I guess I'm just sick of everyone and their brother having my ss#.

I guess I'll deal with it at the closing. I'll probably just fold b/c it's Disney and I want in. But I'll try to take a stand....

Amy

 

[CarolMN]

My understanding is that they have to tell you why it is required. I'd ask and see what they say.

 

[Muushka]

Take that stand Amy. You go girl!!!

We did NOT give our SS# when we bought in 2000. They asked for it, we asked why they wanted it, they could not give a reason. We did not give our numbers.

For a few years they asked us for the numbers when we booked a resort and we said it was not on record. They agreed and just asked us for address, phone number. A couple of years ago they stopped asking for it.

I know that people can find out what my SS# is, but I am so tired of handing that thing out so that businesses don't have to create a unique identifier for their customers/members.

PS Can you tell that I was a victim of ID theft? SS# and all.
PSS I just remembered that I was just involved with a fund-raiser. All of the data (credit card information, names, addresses, phone numbers) from last year's event was just sitting around the office. For whatever reason, businesses (and non-profits) are not as careful with my information as I am. Therefore, no, I will not hand it out freely.

 

[Budshark]

I don't see it. Sure if you sell, the title co needs it for withholding. But we are purchasing. I don't believe the town where we own our house has our ss#s. (And it would be a mistake to put your ss# on a public deed).

We take our R.E. taxes off based on what we pay to our town, but I don't believe they report that amount to the govt. Am I mistaken?

As far as the SS# being public record, Orange County Florida has a law that SS# not appear on the public record.

My understanding is that it is still needed to ensure proper transfer, reduce falsified records (such as someone transferring a property to another persons name and leaving them with the liability), and legal/tax purposes. I haven't seen in person that these are all verfied, but this is what I was told by a lawyer who specializes in real estate (but they aren't in Florida so maybe the law is different).

As the other poster said - ask them why they want/need it.

Chris

 

[heffalumps]

Ok, now I'm getting nervous. We just sent all our paperwork back. I did call quality assurance before I sent the paperwork back to make sure everything was there. We are not financing. They did not ask for our ss#'s or tell me to write them on anything. In fact, I remember when talking to my guide as he was checking on things (reading out loud) he came across a spot on the computer for ss# and he said he didn't need it because we were not financing. I hope he was correct. I have called MS several times in the last few days and all they ask is to verify my address and one also asked to verify my home phone number.

 

[Starr W.]

I have called MS several times in the last few days and all they ask is to verify my address and one also asked to verify my home phone number.

They will do that at every call you make to MS, I did day by day reservations for last month and I had to do it every morning for 6 days! You'd think I would have memorized my member number after that week.

 

[Muushka]

Ok, now I'm getting nervous. We just sent all our paperwork back. I did call quality assurance before I sent the paperwork back to make sure everything was there. We are not financing. They did not ask for our ss#'s or tell me to write them on anything. In fact, I remember when talking to my guide as he was checking on things (reading out loud) he came across a spot on the computer for ss# and he said he didn't need it because we were not financing. I hope he was correct. I have called MS several times in the last few days and all they ask is to verify my address and one also asked to verify my home phone number.

Why would you be nervous? Like I said, I did not give my SS# and they just verify with address and phone number.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

I wonder if this has to do with the Patriot Act, which I think requires personal identification of persons purchasing real estate.

 

[disneyeveryyear]

I try to do the right thing (e.g. we're going to Disney the week of my DDs 3rd b-day. I'm going to buy her a ticket for the last 2 days of the week just b/c it would be wrong to just sneak her in b/c she's small). Amy

Amy-

Just to give you a little heads' up. Disney's policy is that if your child begins a trip under the age of 3, then no ticket is necessary for the entire trip. Same way, if your child first uses a ticket at the age of 9, he/she may use that ticket until all days are used up (non-expiring) or until the ticket expires (AP) without converting to an adult ticket.

Disney verified this to me when we bought my son's ticket at age 9.

 

[Amy5000]

Amy-

Just to give you a little heads' up. Disney's policy is that if your child begins a trip under the age of 3, then no ticket is necessary for the entire trip. Same way, if your child first uses a ticket at the age of 9, he/she may use that ticket until all days are used up (non-expiring) or until the ticket expires (AP) without converting to an adult ticket.

Disney verified this to me when we bought my son's ticket at age 9.

Beverly: Thanks for the info!! It's good to know I won't need to purchase tickets for her last 2 days!

As for my SSN, I just got this response from the title company:

There is no problem with not including your SS#'s if the resort needs them
(which they do ask for them) then they can contact you after you are an
owner.

Now hopefully the closing goes off without a hitch. I do worry about the sellers backing out. I have no reason to think they will but I'm a big believer in "it's not closed until it's closed".

 

[LisaS]

As for my SSN, I just got this response from the title company:

There is no problem with not including your SS#'s if the resort needs them
(which they do ask for them) then they can contact you after you are an
owner.

I didn't give my SS# to the closing company and DVC never asked for it. You can establish another way of confirming your identity other than SS#.

Good luck! I hope everything goes smoothly for you!

 

[Starr W.]

We sent in copies of our driver's lic.(don't have ssn#'s on).

 

[Muushka]

Beverly: Thanks for the info!! It's good to know I won't need to purchase tickets for her last 2 days!

As for my SSN, I just got this response from the title company:

There is no problem with not including your SS#'s if the resort needs them
(which they do ask for them) then they can contact you after you are an
owner.


Now hopefully the closing goes off without a hitch. I do worry about the sellers backing out. I have no reason to think they will but I'm a big believer in "it's not closed until it's closed".

Oye! Why in the world would the resort need a SS#?
I hope they never ask me for one!

 

[brandylouwho]

I wonder if this has to do with the Patriot Act, which I think requires personal identification of persons purchasing real estate.

You might be on to something there...that darn Patriot Act. I get sooo sick of it at work--I work at a mortgage company and we have to verify the identity of applicants-usually through their SS Cards and Drivers Licenses.

Also, at least in Wisconsin, the Real Estate Transfer Form asks for the SS numbers of both sellers and buyers of a real estate transaction. The form is something the county Register of Deeds gets...although the form itself is not a recorded/public document (the Mortgage gets recorded and it doesn't have SSNs on it...but the transfer form has to be sent to the county with the Mortgage).

 

[JudyTL]

I thought it is because you are buying property. There are taxes associated with the purchase. These can be claimed on your 1040. There is a deed...

 

[Firebug]

You might be on to something there...that darn Patriot Act. I get sooo sick of it at work--I work at a mortgage company and we have to verify the identity of applicants-usually through their SS Cards and Drivers Licenses.
Also, at least in Wisconsin, the Real Estate Transfer Form asks for the SS numbers of both sellers and buyers of a real estate transaction. The form is something the county Register of Deeds gets...although the form itself is not a recorded/public document (the Mortgage gets recorded and it doesn't have SSNs on it...but the transfer form has to be sent to the county with the Mortgage).

This is a bad thing???

FB