{"id":5136,"date":"2023-03-30T09:11:17","date_gmt":"2023-03-30T13:11:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/?p=5136"},"modified":"2023-10-31T15:12:46","modified_gmt":"2023-10-31T19:12:46","slug":"man-loses-home-to-ex-girlfriend-taking-out-fraudulent-mortgages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/man-loses-home-to-ex-girlfriend-taking-out-fraudulent-mortgages\/","title":{"rendered":"Ex-Girlfriend Fraudulent Mortgages Leaves Man Homeless"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Naomi Brown raised 11 children while working two jobs to buy her first, modest home in Miami. Brown left her house to her son Theodis Jones. It was on the verge of being taken away, all because Jones\u2019 ex-girlfriend, Adrienne McSweeney, took out two loans totaling $120,000 on the property behind his back. A private lender, not a bank, made the loans in Jones\u2019 name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A man claiming to be Jones accompanied McSweeney to the title company closing. The two had the <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/how-to-deal-with-tenants-in-your-foreclosure-and-tax-deed-purchases\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"deed to the house (opens in a new tab)\">deed to the house<\/a> and Jones\u2019 driver\u2019s license, which he thought was lost. The real and the phony Jones looked nothing alike. Yet, the loans were approved.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Foreclosure loomed. This is bad enough, but for Jones, there was an added insult to his injury. Although he contacted the lender, title company, and police, no one believed him.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>This evidence did not stop the foreclosure process.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">In this Article:<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/man-loses-home-to-ex-girlfriend-taking-out-fraudulent-mortgages\/#Foreclosure_Continues\" >Foreclosure Continues&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/man-loses-home-to-ex-girlfriend-taking-out-fraudulent-mortgages\/#Fraud_Nightmare_Increasing\" >Fraud Nightmare Increasing&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/man-loses-home-to-ex-girlfriend-taking-out-fraudulent-mortgages\/#Deed_Fraud\" >Deed Fraud<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/man-loses-home-to-ex-girlfriend-taking-out-fraudulent-mortgages\/#Warning_Signs_of_Deed_Fraud\" >Warning Signs of Deed Fraud<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/man-loses-home-to-ex-girlfriend-taking-out-fraudulent-mortgages\/#Protecting_Yourself_from_Property_Fraud\" >Protecting Yourself from Property Fraud<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/man-loses-home-to-ex-girlfriend-taking-out-fraudulent-mortgages\/#What_to_Do_if_You_Become_a_Victim\" >What to Do if You Become a Victim<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/man-loses-home-to-ex-girlfriend-taking-out-fraudulent-mortgages\/#The_Bottom_Line\" >The Bottom Line<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Foreclosure_Continues\"><\/span>Foreclosure Continues&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After Jones hired attorney Mark Mastrarrigo to fight the <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/11-questions-newbies-have-about-starting-in-foreclosure-auctions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">foreclosure<\/a>, he got a lucky break. It turned out that the title company had saved a video from the closing. It was clear that the man wearing a mask in the video was not Theodis Jones. A handwriting expert found that the signature on the document did not belong to Jones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This evidence did not stop the foreclosure process. But Mastrarrigo remains confident, saying that he knows they will prevail on the case and get the mortgage and lien stripped. The attorney is now asking a judge to dismiss the foreclosure and the lien for the $120,000 placed on Jones\u2019 house. Miami-Dade police are also conducting an investigation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fraud_Nightmare_Increasing\"><\/span>Fraud Nightmare Increasing&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The bad news is that this nightmare scenario is becoming all too common in Florida. Deed fraud, also known as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/miami\/news\/property-title-thefts-rampant-in-south-florida-business-owner-property-appraiser-fight-back\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">title fraud<\/a>, occurs so often in the state that Broward County Property Appraiser Marty Kiar calls South Florida the &#8220;title fraud capital of the world.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For instance, in Volusia County, Javon Walden is facing an \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.clickorlando.com\/news\/investigators\/2022\/09\/12\/florida-man-used-fake-deeds-to-take-ownership-of-2-homes-court-records-claim-heres-how\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">organized scheme to defraud<\/a>\u201d charge after he allegedly used fraudulent quitclaim deeds to make it look like two property owners, both deceased, transferred ownership of their homes to him. While he sold one of the homes, an heir discovered the crime and stopped it, as per court records. Walden lived across the street from one of the property owners and filed the false quitclaim deed just days after his neighbor committed suicide. If convicted, Walden faces up to 30 years in prison.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>One of the most troubling facts about deed fraud is that it isn\u2019t always total strangers trying to steal your home. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Deed_Fraud\"><\/span>Deed Fraud<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Deed fraud occurs when someone meddles with a property\u2019s ownership fraudulently. It is a form of identity theft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you purchase a home, your title company registers you as the property\u2019s true owner. That information is available in your county courthouse and title office. A deed fraud thief has a significant amount of your personal data and uses it to impersonate you in a title transaction.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most troubling facts about deed fraud is that it isn\u2019t always total strangers trying to steal your home. Many of those responsible for this crime commit deed fraud on family members, friends, and neighbors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the criminal has the title to your home, there are all sorts of ways in which they can steal from you. Perhaps, the most common is taking out a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) in your name. Lenders may allow borrowers to borrow up to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.investopedia.com\/home-equity-loan-maximum-5323470\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">85 percent<\/a>&nbsp;of the equity in their home. You should find out about this crime relatively quickly, as it\u2019s obvious the thief is not making monthly loan payments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other thieves may transfer your property to their name and then take out a new mortgage. Again, the criminal is not making payments on this stolen property. The bank then begins foreclosure.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unoccupied vacation or rental homes are particularly vulnerable. The criminal may attempt to sell the home to a legitimate buyer. Since they are an illegitimate seller, they just pocket the funds.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the reverse mortgage scam, the criminal cashes out the equity in your home via refinancing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Warning_Signs_of_Deed_Fraud\"><\/span>Warning Signs of Deed Fraud<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you discover any of the following conditions involving your deed or similar documents, suspect&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mypalmbeachclerk.com\/services\/property-fraud-alert\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">deed fraud<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Recorded document on the property of which you were unaware.<\/li><li>Recorded documents that you did not sign or where your signature was forged.<\/li><li>Recorded documents transferring ownership or part ownership of your property to another party without your knowledge.<\/li><li>Recorded documents executed by someone who was deceased at the time.<\/li><li>A loan is taken out on the property without your knowledge.<\/li><li>Changes made to a recorded document after you signed it.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Become suspicious if you are not receiving bills when they are due.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Protecting_Yourself_from_Property_Fraud\"><\/span>Protecting Yourself from Property Fraud<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Protecting yourself from fraud means keeping close tabs on your credit report. By using a credit monitoring service, you learn of any new loans taken out in your name right away. The major credit bureaus \u2014 Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion \u2014 also offer one free credit report every 12 months on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.annualcreditreport.com\/index.action\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AnnualCreditReport.com<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many counties in Florida, including Palm Beach County, offer a free&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.propertyfraudalert.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Property Fraud Alert<\/a>&nbsp;system. Noting that victims of fraud and identity theft often are unaware their homes have been stolen, this online subscription service provides an early warning system. When a document, such as a deed, mortgage, or record involving land, appears in the recorder\u2019s office with your name match, you are notified within 24 hours. Property owners can <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/what-is-due-diligence-in-real-estate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"take action (opens in a new tab)\">take action<\/a> if it appears fraudulent activity is occurring. Just sign up to help guard against property fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Avoid identity thieves by never giving sensitive information to anyone over the phone or by email. <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/watch-out-for-these-florida-real-estate-scams\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Scammers (opens in a new tab)\">Scammers<\/a> need your personal information to try to take out reverse mortgages or commit other financial crimes. Never keep your Social Security card in your wallet or any other susceptible place.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Become suspicious if you are not receiving bills when they are due. With deed theft, that might involve utility bills and property tax assessments. Call your creditors to ensure that thieves have not stolen your identity. Check your credit card and other bills and note any changes or discrepancies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don\u2019t have title insurance on your property, purchase a policy right away.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you own a second home or vacation property, make sure all mail is forwarded to your primary home when you are not in residence. Mailbox theft is one of the easiest ways for thieves to obtain your personal information.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rather than just throwing out personal and financial information, shred such documents carefully. Dumpster diving can give thieves access to all sorts of sensitive information if it isn\u2019t destroyed. Do not post any sensitive personal information on social media.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>When you know what steps to take beforehand, you\u2019re less likely to panic if identity theft should happen to you.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_to_Do_if_You_Become_a_Victim\"><\/span>What to Do if You Become a Victim<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re a victim of deed fraud, contact your local sheriff\u2019s department and the FBI immediately. Get a certified copy of the fraudulent deed from your county register\u2019s office. Find an attorney who can help get the fraudulent deed voided. Your lawyer will also correct the public record by filing the appropriate documents. It may prove necessary to file a lawsuit to clear the title record.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Bottom_Line\"><\/span>The Bottom Line<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>No matter what precautions you take, identity theft and its scary aftermath are always a possibility. Many <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/real-estate-investors-scammed-for-3000000-after-not-doing-their-due-diligence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"fraudsters (opens in a new tab)\">fraudsters<\/a> obtain personal information from records available online. When you know what steps to take beforehand, you\u2019re less likely to panic if identity theft should happen to you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Naomi Brown raised 11 children while working two jobs to buy her first, modest home in Miami. Brown left her house to her son Theodis Jones. It was on the verge of being taken away,&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":5152,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[303,602,11,16,601,603,67,420,421],"class_list":["post-5136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-estate-investing-articles","tag-deeds","tag-financial-crime","tag-foreclosure","tag-heloc","tag-identity-theft","tag-property-fraud","tag-real-estate","tag-scam","tag-scammers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5136"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5136\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5562,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5136\/revisions\/5562"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5152"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}