A SENIOR was left in despair after spotting a digger destroying the home she had owned for decades.
Linda Willis of Georgia was left apoplectic after losing her property despite paying off her 30-year mortgage.
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She insisted she had not listed the Atlanta property for sale, according to the ABC affiliate WSB-TV.
Willis said he found workers removing the property in November 2021.
“I went to the crane operator and asked, ‘Who gave you permission to demolish my property?’ she exploded.
It turned out that a woman, known as Cencera Willis, had filled out paperwork to be administrator.
She allegedly used the name of her late mother, also named Linda Willis, on the documents.
Cencera reportedly hired the workers to carry out the demolition work.
But Willis didn’t know who Cencera was.
The house was completely demolished and footage shared by WSB-TV showed the empty lot where the property once stood.
Cencera allegedly sold the property to a company just months after the paperwork was filed.
It was then sold again to another company for US$500,000.
Lawyers representing a real estate agency suggested that Linda Willis may have been the victim of deed fraud.
Cencera was questioned, but she reportedly defended the Fifth Amendment.
At the time, Atlanta police officials confirmed that no criminal charges had been filed. The US Sun has approached the police force for comment.
Since then, Willis has been pushing lawmakers to ensure repeat situations don’t happen to other homeowners.
“Right now it’s just the wild west, anyone can go there, you don’t even have to show who you are,” she said. WSB-TV.
Mashinda Thomas, a state lawmaker, has introduced a bill that would require potential buyers to present a photo ID.
Willis revealed that he welcomes the proposal – presented in January 2024.
The draft legislation remains hidden in the committee process.
Financial authorities have revealed tips on how homeowners can mitigate the risk of falling victim to title fraud.
Owners must ensure the correct address is registered in accordance with the New York City Department of Finance.
They should call the authorities if they suddenly stop receiving bills.
Owners must also update records with the name of the new owner in the event of death.
They should not rush into making decisions about future property without talking to family or lawyers.
Property deed fraud
Quitclaim deeds are a useful tool for quickly transferring ownership of a property. But the paperwork was subject to fraud.
Specialists in Chase Bank warned that the mechanism is generally used by people who trust each other.
The paperwork is signed by the person transferring the property and the receiving party.
The document is signed by both parties and is dated to make it official.
There are different scenarios in which a quitclaim deed may be appropriate. These include:
- Married
- Divorce
- Wills
- Correcting any errors that are in the property records
But quitclaim deed forms have been exploited by scammers looking to target unsuspecting homeowners.
Signatures can be forged without the owner’s knowledge.
Documents are taken to local offices and filed before being processed
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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