Mass. analyst says Palin may have deed problem

By Glen Johnson, Globe Staff

A Massachusetts register of deeds and local mortgage fraud examiner say prospective Republican presidential contender Sarah Palin may be an unwitting victim of mortgage fraud after purchasing a home in Arizona with apparent flaws in its title chain.

Examiner Marie McDonnell, who conducted a forensic analysis of the mortgage on Palin’s new home to underscore the prevalence of mortgage fraud problems, said robo-signer Linda Green - whose exploits were featured in a recent installment of “60 Minutes” - signed a fraudulent Deed of Release on behalf of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

McDonnell said another alleged robo-signer, Deborah Brignac, also endorsed fraudulent foreclosure documents.

Brignac, a vice president of California Reconveyance Company, a subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase Bank, assigned the Homeowner’s Deed of Trust to JPMorgan Chase Bank in her capacity as a vice president of Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc.

McDonnell said Brignac also executed a document appointing California Reconveyance Company - her regular employer - as substitute trustee in her alleged capacity as a vice president of JPMorgan Chase.

“Sarah Palin’s chain of title has been swept up into the eye of the ‘perfect storm’,” McDonnell said in a statement. “I have laid out a timeline that illustrates the defects in Sarah Palin’s chain of title which shows that it is seriously, if not fatally impaired.”

A spokesman for Palin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Register John L. O’Brien Jr. recently announced that he found 6,047 fraudulent Linda Green documents recorded in the Essex Southern District Registry of Deeds, the Salem-based entity he leads.

He has gained national profile while complaining about the business practices at Bank of America, J.P. Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and other lenders.

“If fundamental property principles still matter in this country, Sarah Palin may have legal issues that could affect the ownership of her home,” he said in the statement. “Through no fault of her own, Sarah Palin has become a victim like thousands of others across the country that have the same problem with their chain of title.”

He added: “It just goes to show you that no one is immune from this type of fraud and irresponsible behavior that these banks participated in.”