A couple from Stone Mountain had to leave their home after falling victim to a fraudulent scheme that resulted in their house being stolen.
Even after the 77-year-old man refused to leave, the police went ahead and arrested one of the homeowners.
In an exclusive interview with Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Ashli Lincoln, Charmaine Allman, a long-time resident, revealed that they have been living in the same home for over two decades. However, on Thursday, to their dismay, all their belongings were scattered across the yard.
DeKalb County Sheriff’s Deputies informed the couple that they had to vacate their home on Tuesday. They were shocked to learn that their home had been sold without their knowledge.
Allen expressed his frustration, stating that the way they treated him and others made them feel like unwanted intruders. He emphasized how his personal belongings were callously discarded, as if they held no value.
According to Allman, her property was taken over by a man who used fraudulent documents. Adding insult to injury, her husband was arrested for refusing to leave.
Allman and her husband started receiving letters in the mail claiming that they had taken out a second mortgage, even though they had never done so.
“We no longer have a mortgage,” Allman proudly declared.
On Tuesday, a man claimed to be the owner of the house and stated that he had bought it through a foreclosure process.
Lincoln paid a visit to the man’s house, but as soon as he caught sight of the Channel 2 Action News cameras, he hastily retreated inside. He declined to respond to Lincoln’s inquiries and firmly instructed her to leave.
According to real estate attorney Richard Alembik, incidents of this particular form of fraud are becoming increasingly common throughout the metro Atlanta area.
Alembik expressed concerns about the ease with which forged deeds can be created and recorded. He highlighted the growing problem in the digital age, where e-filing and e-recording of deeds make it simple for individuals to submit fraudulent documents. According to Alembik, the accessibility of these processes contributes to the prevalence of forged deeds.
According to Alembik, it is common for notaries to overlook the crucial step of verifying the homeowner’s identification before filing the documents.
According to Alembik, the lack of a People’s Court for contesting wrongful foreclosures or forged deeds is a significant issue.
As of Thursday night, Allman’s husband remains in jail.
Proving oneself as a victim of this fraudulent activity may not necessarily guarantee protection for homeowners. In fact, even with substantial evidence, a judge can still issue an order for them to vacate the premises and bear the financial burden.