‘How do you do that?’ cries homeowner who found out too late his house didn’t belong to him anymore – it sold for $42k | 6M7P5L2 | 2024-04-28 19:08:01
'How do you do that?' cries homeowner who found out too late his house didn't belong to him anymore – it sold for $42k | 6M7P5L2 | 2024-04-28 19:08:01
A HOMEOWNER is begging for answers after his property was sold without his knowledge.
David Sinclair was trying to pay taxes when he learned his home in Manitoba, Canada, no longer belonged to him.
Years ago, Sinclair, a 55-year-old living in Winnipeg, co-owned a home with another man named Robert Leclair.
Sinclair had lived in the house on and off for over 25 years, ever since he was a foster child.
However, in 2015, he made the horrific discovery the house had been sold without his knowledge.
While he was trying to pay his property taxes, he uncovered documents that showed the property had been signed away.
What's worse, his signature was on the forms.
"I was totally shocked," he told CTV News.
"I was totally blown away."
Sinclair later realized the property was sold for a measly $42,000, even though it was valued at close to $100,000 in 2015.
After making the horrific realization, he said, "How do you do that? You gave away a house."
When the unlucky owner told tax officials about the fraud, he was warned to immediately get a lawyer.
<!-- End of Brightcove Player --> COURT CASE CRACKED
In 2017, Sinclair took Leclair to court, and a sick plot came to light.
Leclair had taken a stranger who pretended to be Sinclair to a property lawyer to fill out the transfer documents.
There, they signed over the deed, and Leclair sold the home to a good-faith buyer.
On May 11, 2017, Leclair pleaded guilty to fraud of over $5,000 and was sentenced to a 12-month conditional jail sentence, which would be served through community service.
He was also ordered to pay Sinclair $21,000.
After the ruling, Judge Tracey Lord, who presided over the case, said, "You deliberately concocted a sophisticated plan to gain money that you weren't entitled to, and that's the bottom line."
"It's serious," she said in court.
However, weeks after the judgment, Sinclair revealed that he hadn't seen a cent of the money he was owed.
He said he was heartbroken over the situation and didn't know how he was going to get by.
"I feel like I'm not going to make it," Sinclair said in 2017.
"Hopefully I can get this resolved. I need to get this resolved."
</div> </div> PREVENTING DEED SCAMS
Most properties are transferred through quitclaim deeds, which allow individuals to easily exchange ownership.
Thieves can take advantage of the easy process by pressuring people into signing the form or forging signatures without someone's knowledge.
Once the deed is filled out, all a thief has to do is go to the county register and get the information processed.
After the documents are approved, the fraudster can quickly rent, mortgage, or sell a property without the rightful owner's knowledge.
Homeowners can protect themselves from heartless schemes by checking their property records if they suspect fraud.
It's also important to note that scammers can pose as mortgage assistance companies.
Another man had his home abruptly sold behind his back even though he never missed a mortgage payment.
More >> https://ift.tt/NPJqGv7 Source: MAG NEWS
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