Tag: Homeowner Rights
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Loan Shark Takes Deed During Refinance, and the Target Fights Back
A Brooklyn woman recently left her home — and not by choice. Vira Lynn Jones mistakenly signed her deed over to a loan shark a few years back, when trying to refinance. She fought the culprit in court. She’s been fighting for three and a half years. But the court hasn’t backed her up. Now,…
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Time’s Up! MV Realty Ordered to Lift Its Claims From Thousands of Property Records
The party’s over! States are now rushing to ban listing agreements that tie deed holders to particular brokerages to sell their homes in the future. One big reason for this appears to be their residents’ complaints about a certain “MV Realty” company. Several states are acting on MV Realty agreements as you read this. The company has…
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Ohio Cancer Survivor Recovers Home After Quitclaim Fraud
A Dayton homeowner finally got her deed back. The title to Robin M’s home was swiped out from under her while she was undergoing cancer treatments two years ago. Last year, she proved that her property was taken from her by deed theft. The Common Pleas Court of Montgomery County, Ohio determined that her Dayton…
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Political Signs: A Deed Holder’s Guide to Laws and Limits
Is there a First Amendment right to display political signs of any kind, size, or position on the sign poster’s own property? At first, the answer might seem to be a flat-out yes. The Constitutional commitment to free speech prevents heavy-handed government interference with political messaging. But states place limits on what residents may do…
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Guilty Pleas in Long Island: Heirs Recover Their Stolen Deeds
Two New Yorkers — and one is a former lawyer and a licensed notary — have pleaded guilty to deed fraud charges in New York. The charges involve first-degree scheming to defraud, and additional counts related to forging and filing false documents to take deceased people’s titles in Nassau and Queens. A company run by…
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Who Owns Your Home—You, or the Bank? Check for a “Defeasance Clause”
Defeasance? What’s that? Some home loans contain a defeasance clause. It means you’re giving up collateral. Do your home loan documents have defeasance language? If so, your lending institution holds your home’s title for as long as you owe the lender money. Although the legal owner is your lender, you are still called the homeowner.…
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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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Trees, Smoking, and Other Neighbor Troubles: What’s a Homeowner to Do?
They say good fences make good neighbors. Perhaps we could add shrubs or trees, too. Fences and trees can helpfully separate one residential property from the next. Their presence can make boundaries obvious and clear-cut. Then again, their helpfulness depends on how homeowners personally experience them. Hedges or fencing can be poorly placed, making property…
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Can a Quitclaim Deed Be Undone?
A quitclaim deed transfers real estate to a new owner. A properly completed and recorded quitclaim cannot be undone. Here’s why — and what to do next if there’s a problem with the transfer.
