Harris County Attorney Files Lawsuit In Alleged Home Title Theft Scheme

By Jarett Lewis

A Harris County Attorney has filed a lawsuit seeking $1 million in damages on behalf of victims of “home title theft.

Attorney Christian Menefee filed the lawsuit earlier this week against two men from the Greater Houston area. They are accused of stealing people’s homes right from under them.

The crime known as home title theft occurs when criminals file a deed to someone’s home in a name that is not the homeowner’s, without the homeowner knowing about it.

Legal analyst Chris Tritico said this type of crime has become a growing problem in recent years, with people of all ages becoming victims. One of the victims includes Wanda Jackson, a 70-year-old former HISD teacher.

“Before you figure out what’s going on, your home has been deeded to somebody else,” Tritico said. “Quite frankly, anyone who’s not paying attention to their property is vulnerable.”

A major question in this case is whether the alleged criminals still have the money they gained from falsifying paperwork on the victims’ homes.

“They may have filed the deeds, sold the homes, and pocketed cash out of their scheme to swindle people out of their homes,” said Tritico.

Checking your deed records is simple and free, according to Tritico. Additionally, there are services available that notify homeowners if something happens to their home title. Residents in Harris County can check their records at the Clerk’s Office website.

Original article: https://ktrh.iheart.com/featured/houston-texas-news/content/2024-11-14-harris-county-attorney-files-lawsuit-in-alleged-home-title-theft-scheme/