Scam artists want house information to be free.
Scam artists are stealing homes, not by the tip of a gun, but by the tip of a pen– forging deeds and filing them with the County Clerk, Register of Deeds. It’s easier than you think. Much of the information on the home, including the owner’s name, is public.
The thieves buy a blank deed from any stationary store, fill it out, forge the owner’s signature, have it notarized and file it with the County Clerk. At that point, the house is officially considered theirs.
Most County Clerks who accept the deed and documents for recording do not ask for identification of the parties who signed the documents. And even those that do, are easily duped with a fake ID or forged Power of Attorney. Once the deed is recorded, the home can be sold, rented or used as collateral for a mortgage.
- When Jon Thomas returned to Cleveland to bury his mother, he thought that was the worst of it. Then, he drove to her house and found a stranger living there. (source)
- In Florida, a thief befriended owners of vacant homes that were for sale and free of mortgages. Using information he picked up from the homeowners and from public records, he forged documents and recorded deeds to transfer homes to himself. He then borrowed money from lenders using the homes as collateral. (source)
- a couple in California would look for homes where owners were behind on their taxes, typically folks in nursing homes. They would forge the deed and transfer documents and get title. (source)
- In December of last year, the Empire State Building in New York City was “stolen” by a reporter at the Daily News to show how easy it was to do. (source)
These houses are targets for house thieves:
1. Empty houses. The number 1 target. Owners are either out of town, in nursing homes, hospitals or otherwise absent. Less suspicion is raised with neighbors. They are also easier to show to new buyers or rent.
2. Houses with no mortages or liens. Makes it easier to get a loan or resell.
3. Houses owned by out of state owners. These owners only receive tax bills and are unlikely to discover a problem until it’s too late
4. Houses of owners in nursing homes. These owners are also not likely to discover the fraud.
5. Houses of seniors. Old folks are tricked into signing deeds by con men pitching all sorts of scams
6. Houses in foreclosure or owing back taxes. These owners are easy targets for scammers offering to help save the home from the bank or tax man — but taking it for themselves.
Here are Some Tips to Protect Your Home:
1. Do not sign any document concerning your home (or any legal document) without first consulting an attorney. Just ask the person for their phone number so you can pass it on to your lawyer — that will scare most of these dirtbags away. The number will be a phoney.
2. Visit the Register of Deeds office and ask to see your recorded deed– you only need your address or block and lot number. In many cities, like New York, you can check these records online. Check the records from time to time or have a title company check for you– any fee should be nominal since their people are always down there. Heck, title companies could make some easy money doing this.
Marketing Tip: Swim in a blue ocean and stay in front of your clients, especially if their homes are potential targets, by offering to check their deeds every 3 or 6 months.
3. If you receive a loan book or letter from a bank or company you don’t recognize, don’t toss it as junk mail. Call the company that sent it.
4. If your house is vacant, rent it or hire a house sitter. (But not this lady.) If a loved one is in the hospital for an extended period of time, check the house from time to time.
5. If the vacant house is for sale, think about video taping your open houses (or at least have a sign saying it is under surveillance. See Burglars Target Vacant Homes, Case them during Open Houses.
6. Send this blog post to a homeowner.
Related Post:
Real Estate Scam Artisits Use Craigslist to Post Fake Ads.
Technorati Tags: real estate scam, psa, stolen house, con artist
