{"id":5655,"date":"2023-11-27T08:37:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-27T12:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/?p=5655"},"modified":"2023-11-30T12:04:17","modified_gmt":"2023-11-30T16:04:17","slug":"famous-extreme-christmas-house-decorators-in-florida-were-actually-squattersafter-dazzling-the-nation-with-their-over-the-top-christmas-display-for-over-a-decade-an-investigation-revealed-this-couple","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/famous-extreme-christmas-house-decorators-in-florida-were-actually-squattersafter-dazzling-the-nation-with-their-over-the-top-christmas-display-for-over-a-decade-an-investigation-revealed-this-couple\/","title":{"rendered":"Famous Extreme Christmas House Decorators in Florida Were Actually Squatters!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>After dazzling the nation with their over-the-top Christmas display for over a decade,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsbreak.com\/news\/3234858563830-florida-couple-famous-for-over-the-top-christmas-lights-were-squatting-in-home-for-15-years-with-fake-deed-investigation-finds?_f=app_share&amp;s=i0&amp;pd=0AFtlrs9&amp;lang=en_US&amp;send_time=1700442460&amp;trans_data=%7B%22platform%22%3A0%2C%22cv%22%3A%2223.46.1.1%22%2C%22languages%22%3A%22en%22%7D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">an investigation\u00a0<\/a>revealed this couple unlawfully occupied their home for an estimated 15 years.<\/p>\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\/famous-extreme-christmas-house-decorators-in-florida-were-actually-squattersafter-dazzling-the-nation-with-their-over-the-top-christmas-display-for-over-a-decade-an-investigation-revealed-this-couple\/#How_Did_This_Happen\" >How Did This Happen?<\/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\/famous-extreme-christmas-house-decorators-in-florida-were-actually-squattersafter-dazzling-the-nation-with-their-over-the-top-christmas-display-for-over-a-decade-an-investigation-revealed-this-couple\/#Legal_Proceedings\" >Legal Proceedings<\/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\/famous-extreme-christmas-house-decorators-in-florida-were-actually-squattersafter-dazzling-the-nation-with-their-over-the-top-christmas-display-for-over-a-decade-an-investigation-revealed-this-couple\/#How_to_Ensure_Your_Properties_Are_Safe_from_Squatters\" >How to Ensure Your Properties Are Safe from Squatters<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Did_This_Happen\"><\/span>How Did This Happen?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sun-sentinel.com\/2023\/11\/17\/the-massive-plantation-christmas-display-home-was-squatted-in-for-years-investigators-say\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Sun Sentinel<\/a>\u00a0released the alarming facts about this case in mid-November, shocking readers across the country. You might wonder how anyone could remain in a home without paying a mortgage or rent for that long. And I\u2019m right there with you! To start at the beginning, we have to go back to 2005.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kathy Hyatt revealed in court that she and her husband, Mark, tried to purchase the home from\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2015\/12\/22\/this-is-a-war-zone-families-fight-over-extreme-christmas-lights-display\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">former Miami Dolphin player Brett Perriman<\/a>, but then things went a little off the rails.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mark Hyatt was a mortgage officer at the time, and he discovered a problem with the deed. The property\u2019s ownership was ambiguous at best, which meant it couldn\u2019t be easily sold to a buyer.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When a private investor looking to flip the property for a quick profit bought the home with a $50,000 down payment, he was given a quit-claim deed. What he needed was an assignment of mortgage, and here\u2019s where the paper trail becomes even more jumbled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Kathy, Mark <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/squatters-in-8000000-mansion-how-to-deal-them-in-your-property\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"created a fake deed (opens in a new tab)\">created a fake deed<\/a> for the property using what he knew about real estate. Then they waited for the investor to leave the home, broke in, threw out all of his belongings that were in the property (even food from the refrigerator), and changed the locks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When the investor returned incensed by their claims, Hyatt showed him the fake deed. The investor called the police, and yet they advised it was a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-12764065\/couple-hyatts-famous-christmas-lights-florida-faked-deed-squatters.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">civil matter and left<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The investor took the Hyatts to court, but nothing came of it for him. Their documents were enough to get them in, and they stayed there for over a decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>While it is astounding the couple lived in the property for so long without being discovered as frauds, they are now facing a fraud case.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quit Claim Deed vs. Assignment of Mortgage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Brett Perriman was the owner before the Hyatts took over as unlawful occupants, but his ownership became ambiguous at some point after he bought the home.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1998, Perriman bought the home for $400,000. Unfortunately, he couldn\u2019t pay off the mortgage and took out a second mortgage on the home for $585,000 before defaulting on the loan and moving to Georgia with his wife in 2004.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When the Hyatts drove by the home in Plantation, Florida, they claimed it appeared vacant which is where their misguided idea of ownership seems to have arisen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The investor, who bought the property before the Hyatts, had a quit claim deed from the sale. For those of you paying attention to your paperwork, here\u2019s where he went wrong.\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/investopedia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Investopedia<\/a>\u00a0defines a quit claim deed as a legal document used to transfer ownership or interest in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/what-is-a-quit-claim-deed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">real property from one party to another<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are often used in situations where the two parties know each other very well, family members for example. They can also be used when the property is gifted. However, having this document does not guarantee a clear title to the property. Mark Hyatt recognized that and took advantage of the opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What the investor needed was an assignment of mortgage.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickenloans.com\/learn\/assignment-of-mortgage#:~:text=An%20assignment%20of%20mortgage%20is%20a%20legal%20term%20that%20refers,to%20them%20at%20this%20time\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">This refers to the transfer<\/a>\u00a0of the security instrument (your home) that underlies your mortgage loan. This is crucial for retaining legal ownership and rights to the property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Did The Hyatts Pay?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Kathy Hyatt testified in court, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/miami\/news\/broward-official-for-years-squatters-lived-in-plantation-home-known-for-christmas-displays\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">We didn&#8217;t live there for free<\/a>.&#8221; She claims they purchased the mortgage notes for $900,000 in 2007. And yet, there was still no clear assignment of mortgage.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Investigators have looked into her claims. Vivian Gallinal at the Property Appraiser\u2019s office admits they have yet to produce proof the Hyatts purchased or paid the mortgage notes on the property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While it is astounding the couple lived in the property for so long without being discovered as frauds, they are now facing a fraud case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>The statute of limitations is 10 years for most of the alleged crimes&#8230;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Legal_Proceedings\"><\/span>Legal Proceedings<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Hyatts came into the spotlight\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-12764065\/couple-hyatts-famous-christmas-lights-florida-faked-deed-squatters.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">in 2014 when the city of Plantation<\/a>\u00a0sued them claiming their extravagant Christmas light display could cause a traffic accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kathy and Mark fought against the accusations in court, and in 2016, the case was closed because the judge could not prove their home display created a public safety issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2017, the lights went out for good when Kathy and Mark divorced. During their case over child support and the alimony that Kathy owed, the evidence of their fraudulent homeownership was uncovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kathy Hyatt told the court their deed was a fake, and they never owned the home. Now, Kathy Hyatt and Mark Hyatt\u2019s estate (he passed away in 2020) are facing $109,000 in back taxes including\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2023\/11\/18\/news\/florida-couple-mark-and-kathy-hyatt-squatted-at-home-made-famous-with-outrageous-christmas-lights\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$34,7<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2023\/11\/18\/news\/florida-couple-mark-and-kathy-hyatt-squatted-at-home-made-famous-with-outrageous-christmas-lights\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"2 (opens in a new tab)\">2<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2023\/11\/18\/news\/florida-couple-mark-and-kathy-hyatt-squatted-at-home-made-famous-with-outrageous-christmas-lights\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">4.68<\/a>\u00a0for a homestead fraud lien. The couple had claimed a homestead exemption on their property taxes for seven years. Since they weren\u2019t the rightful owners, that\u2019s considered fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Surprisingly, not much can be done for most of their unlawful occupancy. The statute of limitations is 10 years for most of the alleged crimes, so the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/business-news\/famous-florida-christmas-lights-display-created-by-squatters\/465690\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">courts can only look back to 2013<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The case appears to be ongoing, with much of the evidence having been brought to investigators\u2019 attention by Kathy Hyatt during the divorce proceedings.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The property is off themarket at the moment and is estimated to be worth $1.72 million according to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.zillow.com\/homedetails\/11201-NW-14th-St-Fort-Lauderdale-FL-33323\/42952844_zpid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Zillow estimates<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>If you somehow find yourself facing new locks and strangers in a home you\u2019ve bought, investigate the title! <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Ensure_Your_Properties_Are_Safe_from_Squatters\"><\/span>How to Ensure Your Properties Are Safe from Squatters<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>What can you do with these recent revelations?\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/tax-deed-sales-in-florida-a-basic-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Check your deeds<\/a>\u00a0for one thing!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You would think it\u2019d be harder to fly under the radar of tax and mortgage authorities nowadays, but who knows? This couple was in the spotlight literally for years because of their extravagant holiday light displays, and no one looked twice at their right to ownership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read up on your state\u2019s laws for homeownership, including definitions for\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/squatters-in-8000000-mansion-how-to-deal-them-in-your-property\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">squatting<\/a>. Don\u2019t let misguided notions of possession derail your investment portfolio.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In future investments, ensure you have a clear deed delineating prior and current ownership of the property. And if you somehow find yourself facing new locks and strangers in a home you\u2019ve bought, investigate the title! Mark Hyatt kept the title from being cleared for years, so no one would discover their lies. Don\u2019t let it happen to you!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After dazzling the nation with their over-the-top Christmas display for over a decade,\u00a0an investigation\u00a0revealed this couple unlawfully occupied their home for an estimated 15 years. How Did This Happen? The\u00a0Sun Sentinel\u00a0released the alarming facts about&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":5656,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,171],"tags":[804,173,232,206,166,74,20,628],"class_list":["post-5655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-estate-investing-articles","category-funny-stuff","tag-bizarre","tag-christmas","tag-crime","tag-florida-man","tag-funny","tag-news","tag-south-florida","tag-squatter"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5655","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\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5655"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5655\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5663,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5655\/revisions\/5663"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5656"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}