Good morning, North Texas,
Let’s talk about deed fraud. People who own their homes are finding out that someone has taken over the deed to their house, behind their back, taking over ownership and forcing the rightful owners out. The Texas House passed a law this summer making punishments for fraudsters harsher, but the problem is still prevalent in Texas.
How does this happen?
✔️ A thief forges the homeowner’s signature on a new deed or sometimes can even trick a vulnerable homeowner (thieves can even be developers!)
✔️ They then file the forged document as a legitimate transfer of ownership
✔️ They’ll use personal information to create fake identification documents, which they may use to trick a notary into verifying their identity
Here’s a story about a local family struggling with this exact problem. They are tens of thousands of dollars in debt, trying to save the home they’ve lived in for nearly 30 years.
If you own your home, you can check your deed status for free through your county records website. Here’s the Tarrant County link and the Dallas County link. Other counties might require you to make a formal request to check your deed status.
Stay vigilant, y’all.
