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  Geebo 8:00 am on August 8, 2024 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: deed transfer, real estate ( 127 ), real estate fraud ( 2 ), Scams ( 1,366 )   

  Homeowner battles eviction after decades-old scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  For over fifty years, a 90-year-old man has called a Brooklyn, New York, brownstone his home. It’s a place rich with memories, where he raised his three children and imagined spending his final days. But instead of enjoying a peaceful retirement, he finds himself in a bitter legal struggle to remain in his beloved home. The root of his troubles is a scam that has left him facing imminent eviction and his name missing from the deed of the house he’s cherished for decades.

  The house, which he purchased in 1969 for just $20,000, now stands as a prized asset in a neighborhood transformed by gentrification. Its current value is close to $3 million, a testament to the dramatic changes in Brooklyn since he first moved in.

  Fraud of this nature is alarmingly common in rapidly changing neighborhoods, especially in certain areas of Brooklyn and Queens, where many people have been victims of deed theft or real estate fraud.

  The scam that ensnared this victim is a complex web of deceit, with its intricacy adding to the deception’s success. In 2006, needing funds for renovations, he was duped into signing over his home’s deed to a con artist with a criminal history. A deed was returned to him, appearing legitimate with a notarized signature from a crooked attorney, yet it was never officially recorded.

  Unbeknownst to the victim, the con man leveraged his home to secure a $700,000 line of credit, eventually leading to foreclosure and a $2 million sale by the bank. He remained in the dark about these proceedings for nearly a decade, only discovering the betrayal when the foreclosure was complete.

  To protect yourself from such scams, it’s crucial to be cautious when dealing with property-related transactions. Always verify the credentials of anyone asking you to sign over property documents, and consult a trusted legal professional before making any agreements. Regularly check public property records to ensure your property’s deed is correctly recorded in your name, and be wary of offers that seem too good to be true. By staying vigilant and informed, you can safeguard your home and financial future against fraud.

   

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  Geebo 8:00 am on May 1, 2024 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: deed transfer, forged title ( 3 ), real estate ( 127 ), Scams ( 1,366 ), title theft   

  Title Theft: The shocking crime robbing property owners blind 

  

  By Greg Collier

  In the heart of Houston, Texas, a tale of land theft has rattled the very foundations of property ownership. A landowner was recently devastated to learn that her cherished plot of land had been illicitly transferred to another party without her knowledge or consent.

  This story is not an isolated incident but rather a symptom of the growing criminal trend of title theft. This insidious form of fraud sees rightful property owners stripped of their assets, often resulting in substantial financial losses and profound emotional distress.

  Through a web of falsified documents, fake identities, and dishonest transactions spanning continents, these criminals exploit vulnerabilities in the property registration system to perpetrate their crimes. In the victim’s case, the paper trail led all the way to Austria, where a fake notary and fraudulent documents facilitated the transfer of her land to an unknown recipient.

  Efforts to combat title theft have been met with mixed success. Legislative measures aim to bolster protections for property owners by mandating stringent verification procedures for title transfers.

  County clerks play a pivotal role in safeguarding against title theft, with initiatives such as photo ID verification serving as crucial deterrents to fraudulent transactions. Yet, as evidenced by the victim’s ordeal, gaps in the enforcement of such measures persist, highlighting the need for greater collaboration between law enforcement agencies, legal professionals, and regulatory authorities.

  In the face of this ever-evolving threat, property owners are advised to take proactive steps to protect their assets. Utilizing resources such as property transaction alerts, offered by some county clerks, can provide an early warning system against unauthorized activities. Additionally, investing in title insurance and home title monitoring services can offer an added layer of security against potential losses resulting from title theft.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on April 10, 2024 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: deed transfer, deeds ( 7 ), quitclaim deeds, real estate ( 127 ), Scams ( 1,366 )   

  Victim losing home in quitclaim deed scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  In a heart-wrenching turn of events, a widow from Mississippi, found herself ousted from her family home after falling victim to a deceptive scheme. Left to fend for herself and her two grandchildren following her husband’s sudden demise, the victim faced financial strain, struggling to navigate the complexities of single-income living. Desperate for relief, she sought assistance from a company recommended by a family member, only to find herself fighting for her home.

  The victim recounts her fateful decision to confide in the company representative, sharing a copy of the deed of trust to her home in hopes of securing financial respite. Little did she know that this seemingly innocuous act would pave the way to her current troubles. The consequences of her trust proved dire when a quitclaim deed surfaced, transferring ownership of her cherished home to unknown hands.

  The ensuing legal battle saw the victim stripped of her home of nearly two decades, labeled a trespasser on what was once her property. Despite her protests and pleas, a county court ruled in favor of the company, ordering her eviction and demanding repayment of purported debts exceeding $19,000. The weight of injustice bore down heavily on the victim’s shoulders as she scrambled to find shelter for herself and her vulnerable grandchildren.

  Her story serves as a poignant reminder of the dangers lurking in the shadows of financial desperation. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) echoed this sentiment, cautioning against the insidious tactics employed by scammers under the guise of mortgage assistance. The allure of relief can blind even the most cautious individuals, leading them unwittingly into the clutches of exploitation.

  The BBB offers practical advice to safeguard against such predatory practices. Vigilance is paramount, with property owners urged to monitor their records diligently through the county’s register of deeds, flagging any unauthorized transactions. Heightened awareness of credit activity and steadfast refusal to transfer property ownership to dubious entities serve as crucial deterrents against potential scams.

  For those who have fallen victim to a quitclaim deed scam, recourse exists through legal channels and law enforcement intervention. Seeking counsel from an attorney and exploring protections afforded by title insurance can provide a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness of deceit.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on December 19, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: deed transfer, hospice ( 2 ), real estate ( 127 ), Scams ( 1,366 )   

  Scammers try to steal home from hospice patient 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Having a terminally ill relative is one of the worst things someone can experience, especially if that relative is one of your parents. You’re either praying for a miracle or for their suffering to end quickly. You end up having to do things you never realized you would have to do, like preparing funeral arrangements for someone who is still alive. The last thing you’ll want to deal with is a pair of scammers trying to steal your parents’ home. Sadly, that’s what one man recently had to deal with.

  The victim’s mother has stage 4 cancer and dementia. She’s been under hospice care at her own home. It’s unclear how the alleged scammer came to obtain this knowledge, but the scammer is accused of filing a quit claim deed that shows the mother sold the house to the scammer for $8000. At the time of the supposed sale, the mother was out of state, receiving treatment. The mother couldn’t have even legally sold her home, as her son had power of attorney.

  Complicating matters was the fact that the quit claim deed was notarized; however, the notary may have been in on the scam. Police approached the notary to ask about the claim, and they said they would cooperate with them before avoiding all contact with police. Both the alleged scammer and the notary have been arrested.

  It’s unknown if this was the case in this story, but a lot of these scammers get their information about their victims from social media. Of course, you want to let your family know your relative’s condition, and social media is probably the quickest way to do that. However, before making that post, consider making a private list of need to know people in your friends list and make the post only visible to them.

  Fortunately, there are measures you can take to safeguard yourself. It is advisable to regularly visit the website of your county appraiser to keep track of the property’s ownership. In case your county appraiser lacks an online platform, you can visit their office in person. Additionally, certain counties offer programs that provide alerts in the event of any changes to your deed.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on December 7, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: deed transfer, funeral ( 13 ), grieving ( 2 ), mourning, real estate ( 127 ), Scams ( 1,366 )   

  Scammer tried to steal homes of grieving families 

  

  By Greg Collier

  It wasn’t more than two weeks ago where we posted what, we thought, was the lowest scam we’ve ever heard of. That was when scammers were selling funeral plots to grieving families when the scammers didn’t own the plots in the first place. Now, we may have found one that is possibly even lower than that.

  An Indianapolis man was recently indicted on 16 separate federal charges. The suspect is believed to have targeted grieving families after finding their deceased loved one’s name in the obituaries. For two years, he’s believed to have tried to force these grieving families into selling their homes.

  As per the county prosecutor’s office, the accused tried to coerce the sale of a homeowner’s property, camouflaged a $50,000 bank loan, and employed forged heirship documentation.

  In one instance, the suspect is accused of forging a sales agreement to force a woman in a nursing home to sell her home to him. In another instance, the suspect is accused of forcing a woman with short-term memory loss to lend him $50,000 with no intention of paying it back.

  Scammers often target victims who are in a state of emotional crisis. The goal here is to pressure the victim into making a decision that benefits the scammer, that often appears as a way to help the victim.

  While these scams may have been isolated to the Indianapolis area, it probably won’t be long before someone else tries it while thinking they can do it better.

  Since this is somewhat uncharted territory, we don’t have any concrete ways of protecting yourself from such a scammer. However, we do have some suggestions. If you’re still mourning the loss of a loved one, take as much time as you need to grieve. If you feel like someone is pressuring you into making a financial situation during that time, research whatever they’re offering when you’re ready to. If you have a parent who lost their spouse, and they also have cognitive disabilities, you may want to look into assuming guardianship or power of attorney. While it may appear to them that you’re taking away some of their freedoms, it may protect them in the long run.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on November 13, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: deed transfer, deeds ( 7 ), real estate ( 127 ), Scams ( 1,366 )   

  Scammer sells own father’s house out from under him 

  

  By Greg Collier

  A man from the Houston, Texas, area is currently on the run from the law after failing to appear for his court appearance. The suspect had been arrested for allegedly selling properties that didn’t belong to him, including one that belonged to his father.

  The suspect’s father allowed his son to stay at the father’s condo. The suspect forged the documents necessary to put the house in his name before selling the condo, and keeping the money for himself. This incident is said to be when the suspect realized he could sell other properties he didn’t own.

  The suspect was able to con his way into transferring the ownership of at least two multi-million dollar properties into his name. According to reports, the suspect would forge deeds and notary signatures in order to steal the properties. The plan was to sell the properties for pennies on the dollar before the actual owners could find out. Properties that had no financial liens on them were said to be the suspect’s main targets.

  A realtor became suspicious when one of their clients was trying to buy a $5 million property for less than half of the market value. This property was being sold by the suspect, which he didn’t actually own. When the realtor contacted police, they found the suspect was trying to sell another property he didn’t own.

  Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. We’ve posted before about victims who were told to leave their homes after scammers submitted forged deeds to the county showing they were the new owners. We’ve also shared stories about vacant lots being targeted in similar scams. If you own a property outright, you may want to pay attention to scams like this.

  Thankfully, there is a way to protect yourself. It’s recommended you go to your county appraiser’s website regularly to monitor the ownership of your property. If your county appraiser does not have a website, you can go to their office. Some counties even have a program where you can be alerted if anything changes on your deed.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on October 30, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: deed transfer, deeds ( 7 ), fake notary, real estate ( 127 ), Scams ( 1,366 )   

  How to lose your home to a scammer without even trying 

  

  By Greg Collier

  You would think it must be pretty difficult for someone to steal your home out from under you without you noticing. However, it might be easier than you’d imagine.

  A homeowner from St. Louis recently lost ownership of her house to a scammer she never even met. Allegedly, a man went to the Recorder of Deeds with a quitclaim deed which said the homeowner turned the house over to the man for no cost. The man even presented a notarized deed that indicated the homeowner was present when the supposed deal was made. Except, the notary who is said to have officiated over the transfer doesn’t even exist. There is no record of this notary being licensed in Missouri.

  You might assume that once the error was caught, the deed transfer would be cancelled, but the Recorder of Deeds office claims they did nothing wrong. They say it’s not their job to make sure the notary on the deed is licensed. Their excuse is they have 60,000 documents they process in a year, and it’s not their requirement to check each notary.

  Suffice to say, the homeowner is suing both the man who claimed the deed and the Recorder of Deeds office.

  This type of title scam can occur in various locations. We would like to emphasize that while we wish we could provide a foolproof method to shield yourself from such a scam, the effectiveness of protection depends on your place of residence. Certain counties in the US have implemented a program that alerts homeowners via email if any documents bearing their name concerning their property appear in county offices. Unfortunately, not every county offers this service.

  If you have concerns about falling victim to such a scam, it’s advisable to investigate whether your county has a comparable program in place. If not, you may want to consider reaching out to your county authorities and suggesting the implementation of such a safeguard.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on March 24, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: deed transfer, deeds ( 7 ), forged title ( 3 ), real estate ( 127 ), Scams ( 1,366 )   

  Forged deed costs man his home 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Almost two weeks ago, we brought you the story of a man who was conned into signing over to someone who sold the home out from under him. But what if we told you your house could be sold without you even signing anything? That’s precisely what happened to a man in New Orleans.

  Much like the man from our previous story, this man lived in the home with his mother. After she passed away, he started renovating his home. While he was putting money into home improvements, someone forged the deed to his home and sold the man’s house.

  This wasn’t just a simple case of forging one signature to get possession of the home, either. Not only did the scammer forge the homeowners name, but the names of a notary and several witnesses were also forged. Additionally, the notary’s stamp was forged as well.

  One might assume that since both the homeowner and notary attest their signatures were forged, the man would be getting the deed to his home returned. Unfortunately, that is not the case. The homeowner is in the middle of legal proceedings to have the ownership of his home returned to him, and the legal costs to do so are not cheap.

  This kind of title scam could happen anywhere. We wish we could say there was an ironclad way to protect yourself from such a scam, but it depends on where you live. Some of the Parishes in Louisiana have a program where if the Parish receives any documentation bearing the homeowner’s name appears in their offices about their property, the homeowner will receive an email alert about it. Several counties across the U.S. have this service also, but not every county does.

  If you’re concerned about being scammed like this, check to see if your county has a program like this. If they don’t, consider getting in touch with your county and recommend it to them.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on March 13, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: deed transfer, deeds ( 7 ), real estate ( 127 ), Scams ( 1,366 )   

  Elderly man signed away house for $10, now faces eviction 

  

  By Greg Collier

  As we’re sure you’re aware of, we typically discuss scams on this blog. However, today’s story doesn’t meet the legal requirement of being called a scam, but can still serve as a warning to those who may find themselves in a similar position.

  A 66-year-old man living on the east coast of Florida lost his mother in 2020. He took her passing very hard and got behind on his mortgage payments. With the real estate market being what it is, the bank started to foreclose on the home.

  Not knowing what to do, the man reached out to an acquaintance for help. The acquaintance allegedly told the man that he would take over the mortgage payments while allowing the man to live in his home. The man then signed a deed which transferred ownership to the acquaintance for $10. However, unknown to the man, the deed gave the acquaintance the right to sell the home if he chose to.

  Eventually, the acquaintance did sell the home, stating the home was too much of a headache. The acquaintance sold the house to a real estate investor. The investor flipped the house by selling it to a New York company for $185,000. Meanwhile, the elderly man not only got nothing out of the sale of his home, but was also being evicted from the home he owned for 23 years.

  The man’s neighbors say that the man is mentally challenged and was taken advantage of by all parties involved. Unfortunately, the courts have ruled that everything was legal, and the eviction can move forward. Meanwhile, the man is trying to sell some of his mother’s possessions to make a little money.

  When dealing with any transaction that involves your home, you should have an attorney look over the paperwork before signing anything. If you can’t afford an attorney, some attorneys give free consultations, or you can reach out to a local law school to see if they have a program where students give free legal advice. There are also some non-profits known as legal aid societies that provide legal help to low-income families and individuals.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on February 13, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: deed transfer, deeds ( 7 ), real estate ( 127 ), Scams ( 1,366 )   

  Deed scam tries to scare homeowners 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Homeowners in the Nashville, Tennessee area have been receiving some disturbing letters in the mail recently. Just imagine receiving a letter in the mail that says the deed to your property has been transferred to someone else and the transfer has been recorded with your county’s deeds office. Thankfully, the letters are part of a scam, but they’re designed to get the homeowner to panic.

  The letters appear to come from the local County Register of Deeds office. They go on to state the homeowner can obtain a copy of the supposed new deed by paying a fee to a supposed service in Florida. So, not only are the scammers hoping on getting an $89 payment from their victims, but if a victim pays by debit or credit card, the scammers will have their financial information as well.

  This scam preys on the fear of another scam where people have lost ownership of their own homes. Previously, some homeowners have been tricked into signing over the deed to their homes to a scammer. The scammer tells them they can avoid being foreclosed on if they sign the deed over to a third party. This typically results in the homeowner being evicted from their home by the scammers.

  In a similar scam, scammers have sent phony tax forms to homeowners asking them to fill the forms out. The scammers then use the information taken from these forms to try to get the deed reassigned to the scammer.

  If you receive a letter like this, the first thing you should do is contact your county deeds office to see if there is any legitimacy to the letter. In some counties, including Tennessee’s Davidson County, where you can sign up for property alerts. This way you can be notified if any action is being taken against your property.