{"id":6618,"date":"2025-07-02T08:04:03","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T12:04:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/?p=6618"},"modified":"2025-06-30T08:12:57","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T12:12:57","slug":"ohio-cancer-survivor-recovers-home-after-quitclaim-fraud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/ohio-cancer-survivor-recovers-home-after-quitclaim-fraud\/","title":{"rendered":"Ohio Cancer Survivor Recovers Home After Quitclaim Fraud"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A Dayton homeowner finally got her deed back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The title to Robin M\u2019s home was swiped out from under her while she was undergoing cancer treatments two years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, she proved that her property was taken from her by deed theft<\/a>. The Common Pleas Court of Montgomery County, Ohio determined that her Dayton home does, in fact, belong to her, not to the swindlers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since then, Ohio\u2019s Second District Court of Appeals has affirmed the county court\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Happened in Robin\u2019s Case<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Robin M\u2019s GoFundMe page tells a harrowing story of a deed holder who was diagnosed with lung cancer and dealing with fraud at the same time. Robin says the perpetrator forged a deed to her home and recorded it in Montgomery County, Ohio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This falsely (but officially) transferred the title to Robin\u2019s home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robin wanted to fight. But courts are costly. Legal fees and costs accumulated, and reached a five-figure sum in Robin\u2019s case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After dealing with serious medical needs, she had no way to pay for legal representation to try to get her deed back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m just recovering from lung cancer,\u201d Robin wrote online. \u201cAnd I\u2019m exhausted.\u201d <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The case got attention in the area. A group of local supporters heard Robin\u2019s plea. They met at a library in Dayton to offer a brunch event to raise money for the cause.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet Another Legal Hoop to Jump Through<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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The people Robin sued over the quitclaim appealed. Still, they couldn\u2019t prove the quitclaim was valid. And the court awarded Robin her property back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being forced to deal with the appeal was painful, but worthwhile. Robin\u2019s grandkids can now inherit the deed. She cried with relief when the appeals court issued its decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, to deal with the $15K+ property taxes due on the home, on top of all the court costs. Also, the place is something of a mold-ridden wreck, as other people had physical control of it for some time, Robin notes. Mold remediation work costs thousands of dollars.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crucially, Robin needed the deed reconveyed into her name in order to deal with taxes and contractors.  But Robin, with the help of the new county recorder, pushed through it. She says she wants to set an example for others, encouraging them not to walk away from their homes \u2014 the core of generational wealth for ordinary people. And she wants to raise awareness about victims\u2019 distress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thieves have no qualms about stealing from struggling people and their heirs. They will even victimize dead homeowners<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Montgomery County Recorder Speaks Out on Deed Fraud<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Lori Kennedy is the Montgomery County Recorder. She calls deed fraud \u201ca growing concern in Montgomery County\u201d and a priority for her office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnlike losing a car or cell phone,\u201d she explains, \u201closing your home to deed fraud cuts much deeper.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since taking office at the start of 2025, Kennedy has begun the county\u2019s Deed Fraud Precheck System in collaboration with the county auditor\u2019s office. This puts all quitclaim deeds through identity checks and notary validations before the instruments can be recorded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The county also offers a Fraud Alert Notification System (FANS) to alert owners whenever someone files anything on their property. Deed holders may sign up in person (on the 5th floor of the County Administration Building) or online through the recorder\u2019s office website. Upon request, the office sends sign-up forms through the mail. Montgomery County deed holders may choose to receive alerts by mail, email, or both. There is no cost for the service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deed holders who believe they\u2019ve been targeted should quickly call the county recorder\u2019s office and file a complaint. Request and complete the county\u2019s Affidavit of Facts Relating to Title<\/em> form to detail the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recorder of deeds will then review the complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not all documents filed against a property are fraudulent, but the recorder\u2019s office is keeping a lookout for those that could be. If a document appears to be a false filing, the recorder\u2019s office will send it to the prosecutor\u2019s office to examine and potentially investigate criminally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are Prosecutions Actually Happening?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Yes. As Lori Kennedy explains: \u201cSince January, we\u2019ve made 16 referrals to the Prosecutor\u2019s Office and sent five complaints to the Secretary of State for suspicious notaries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And just recently, also in the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, two suspects connected with an LLC called Love Has Homes have been found guilty in three instances of quitclaim abuse. The charges include grand theft, forgery, and telecommunications fraud. One of the suspects was sentenced to more than four years; the other got two to three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese defendants took advantage of the ease that quitclaim deeds provide to commit these thefts and certainly deserve to serve every day of their prison sentence,\u201d the Montgomery County prosecutor told the press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pair used quitclaim deeds to fraudulently transfer homes in Dayton, Centerville, and Huber Heights by forging the owners\u2019 signatures. After recording the falsified deeds, the pair sold the properties quickly, at below-market prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, Kennedy wants Ohio representatives and senators to support stronger deed fraud laws, to scare off potential perpetrators in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s get this done. Turn the pain of victims into a catalyst for change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Ounce of Prevention Helps Keep a Deed Safe<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Recovering a stolen home can take years to accomplish. It\u2019s clearly best to proactively keep bad actors away from deeds. In that spirit, here are multiple tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n