Tag: Real Estate Fraud
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When Your Fixer-Upper Isn’t Yours: The Struggle for Rent-to-Own Deed Rights
Maria and Enrique, a real couple with one young child, signed a contract for deed. They believed they were buying themselves a fixer-upper home. They restored the plumbing, electricity, heating and AC, and finally moved in. But when they felt ready to sell their fixed-up home, they were told their seller never fully owned it…
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Follow That Land Rover! Deed Thieves in California Brought to Justice
Imagine someone gaining control of your home title through deed theft. Then they take a loan out against your home. Someone you don’t know. A loan never heard about. Then, the scoundrel went out and bought a Land Rover with your property value, and used it to start their own winery. The Land Rover deed…
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Selling a Home, But Not Your Own: The Dramatic Rise of Seller Impersonation Fraud
The American Land Title Association surveyed hundreds of title companies — 783, to be precise — and found seller impersonation fraud rising year over year. More than 20% of the firms reported recent instances of this bizarre activity. Crafting elaborate hoaxes, these con artists pretend to be ordinary real estate owners. They are masters of…
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It’s a Crime! Deed Theft Crackdown Gets Serious
Deed theft deprives homeowners — and generations that follow them — of the precious home equity they worked so hard to earn. When someone sets out to exploit someone else’s deed, the targets are often seniors, minority households, and people who own debt-free homes in gentrifying neighborhoods. In New York, as of 2024, deed theft…
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Deeds.com Position on Manual (Non-Electronic) Notary Journals in New York and Beyond
In a significant legal change we recently discussed here, the New York State Senate has voted unanimously for its Bill 8663, which amends state law “to limit the recordkeeping and reporting duties of public notaries only to electronic notarization acts.” That is, if the notarization isn’t electronic, a notary need not make or keep any…
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Received an Offer to Have Your Deed Mailed to You for a Fee? Toss It!
This year, Recorder of Deeds Jeanne Sorg has an important message for home buyers in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Look out, Sorg tells homeowners, for deceptive letters mailed to residents from outfits like Property Site. (That’s just one example of the companies who send out these letters, Sorg notes.) The letters at issue say the companies…
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Say the F Word: Real Estate Agents Need to Warn Us About Fraud
No one wants to fall prey to scam artists. Better guidance from real estate agents would be a big help. After all, a staggering fifth of fraudulent money transfer requests pretend to be coming from real estate professionals. So, why aren’t clients getting stronger warnings?
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Ahoy There, Matey! Look Out for the Title Pirates
We all know about porch pirates… but look out for title pirates. They’ll take your whole porch. Title piracy is deed fraud. It happens when someone uses a deed to deliberately take over someone else’s real estate. It’s an unusual crime, but according to the National Association of REALTORS® (which cites FBI figures), it’s been…
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Deed-Stealing Florida Broker Pleads GUILTY
Michael B., a real estate broker, has changed his mind. He’s now pleading guilty in a felony fraud case involving deed theft. In Florida, fraudulent real estate schemes are not unusual. But when a real estate broker in active status is pursued for deed fraud, that’s the kind of case that stands out. Yes, you read…
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Deed Theft Crackdown: New York’s on a Roll
New York State Attorney General Letitia James is championing a cause near and dear to our hearts: safe and secure deeds. On the last day of July 2023, the A.G. announced an indictment of a Long Island resident for deed theft. Joseph Makhani faces two counts of criminal possession of stolen property and one count…
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In the News: Struggling and Elderly Homeowners Targeted by Deed Fakery
Imagine a licensed real estate broker — of all people — accused of taking other people’s homes and selling them. Imagine someone deciding to fake a deed to steal the house of an elderly homeowner who’s ill and in a nursing home. These are both real stories, now unfolding in Florida.
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Elders and Real Estate Fraud: A Burgeoning Problem
Evelio and Milagros Esteban are in their 70s and they’ve been homeowners for years. But recently they ran into trouble paying their mortgage. That was when they mistakenly transferred their home deed to another Miami resident, who offered to help them rent out their home. Thinking they were signing a Section 8 housing application —…
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The Quitclaim Deed and Fraudulent Real Estate Transactions
Quitclaim deeds show up commonly in fraudulent real estate transactions. This type of deed fraud can impact elderly people, buyers purchasing real estate from strangers without warranty, renters who are paying someone who is not a legitimate owner, and anyone involved who might buy, sell, or own property. Here, we examine how it happens and…
