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A Texas man planning to retire in Wayne County discovered that someone sold his land without his knowledge. Officials say the case shows how bold and common title fraud has become.
A Letter Exposed the Scam
Ron Harder bought the land on Boston Road more than 40 years ago. He hoped to build a home there after retirement. In May, he opened a letter from the Wayne County Clerk titled “Notice of Sale.” That letter told him the land no longer belonged to him.
The news shocked him. He never agreed to any sale.
Scammer Posed as the Real Owner
Investigators learned that a scammer contacted a local attorney and pretended to be Harder. The scammer gave the attorney a photocopy of a driver’s license with Harder’s real name and address. The birth date and photo, however, belonged to someone else.
The scammer then worked with Doebler Realty to list the land. After a few months, Gerber Homes bought it for $35,000 and made plans to build a home on the parcel.
John Graziose, a partner at Gerber Homes, said his company now faces the loss. Because the scammer wired the money to the United Kingdom, he does not expect to recover the funds.
A Previous Attempt Almost Succeeded
Harder recalled a similar attempt last fall. That time, the realtor became suspicious and called him directly. Harder confirmed he was not selling the property, and the scam fell apart before any transfer took place.
Title Fraud Cases Continue to Rise
Deputy Wayne County Clerk Michele Burgess said more scammers now target landowners who live far away. Vacant land and out-of-state owners attract criminals because those owners rarely check local records.
To fight this problem, the county plans to launch a new alert system. Property owners will receive an email whenever someone files a document under their name. This tool would have helped Harder detect the fraud earlier.
Undoing the sale now requires a judge’s order, so the legal process may take time.
Unanswered Questions About Identity Checks
News10NBC contacted the attorney and realtor who handled the sale for the scammer. They did not return the calls, and it remains unclear what steps they used to verify the seller’s identity.
Gerber Homes still appears as the current owner on the deed while all parties work to sort out the damage and check whether insurance can help cover the loss.
