By State Attorney Suzy Lopez
For most of us, owning a home means achieving the American dream. Unfortunately, title property fraud is on the rise, and it could leave you and your family fighting for your home. Title property fraud is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the United States, but there are simple ways to ensure your largest asset is safe from criminals.
Fraudsters will generally look for homes that are abandoned or under renovation where homeowners are not always present. These criminals will then file what is called a quitclaim deed, forging the owner’s signature and transferring the property to themselves.
A quitclaim deed can be filed in the Hillsborough County Clerk’s Office and is generally used to transfer a home to a family member. Criminals have instead used quitclaim deeds to discreetly put their names on homes that don’t belong to them. So, what can you do to prevent this from happening?
You can sign up for the Property Fraud Alert System offered by the Hillsborough County clerk of courts. It will notify a homeowner within 48 hours if a document has been filed involving their name and property’s address. In fact, this system is what saved Larry and Dreama Bilby’s home earlier this year.
Larry noticed someone scoping out the property through security cameras while he and his wife were making renovations to their Tampa home. Then, he received an alert from the clerk’s office that a quitclaim deed was filed by a woman named Michelle Cherry. Cherry had not only put the home into her name, but she even changed her driver’s license to reflect that she lived at the Bilbys’ address.
My office is committed to holding fraudsters like Cherry accountable. She is now facing over 275 years in prison if convicted of the charges we have filed against her. What can you do to help deter criminals? Signing up for our county’s alert system can allow you to respond quickly if fraud occurs. Installing security cameras or automatic lights can deter criminals from targeting your property, as will assisting law enforcement in gathering evidence if a crime occurs. Get to know your neighbors and become involved with your neighborhood watch program.
If you are interested in signing up for the clerk’s Property Fraud Alert System, call 800-728-3858 or visit www.hillsclerk.com.
