DAYTON — Imagine paying thousands of dollars in taxes for a house that is not even yours anymore.
That is what is happening to one woman News Center 7′s Kayla McDermott talked to.
This all began from a quit claim deed. Someone who was trying to buy a house from Robin Mobley filed a quit claim deed, signing over her property to him.
Since then he has died and now Mobley is left paying the price.
The quit claim deed was filed more than a decade ago.
“I was embarrassed because my name was found on a court document as a defendant for something that I didn’t know about,” Mobley said.
She found out about the deed this month.
“Last week I got a notice from a government county court, named as a defendant, that I owe $13,000 on this property. I was just floored because I didn’t sign that deed,” Mobley said.
She showed News Center 7 the paper and claims her signature does not match the one on the quit claim and now she is stuck paying thousands in taxes and attorney fees.
“It’s not my fault and I think that somebody needs to say we need to chuck this up because we all made some mistakes,” Mobley said.
News Center 7 took Mobley’s case to John McManus the Montgomery County Treasurer.
“Unfortunately, there there are and will always be bad actors out there that want to take advantage of people,” McManus said.
He looked at the paper signed by prosecuting attorney Mat Hack who is investigating Mobley’s quit claim case. Heck said it appears to be fraud.
“This is unique, I have not seen a communication like this before from the prosecuting attorney. I will personally review this,” McManus said
Unfortunately, this is an ongoing issue.
“There is and continues to exist a problem of, fraud in real estate,” McManus said
Three floors up from McManus is Brandon McClain the recorder who installed a program within the last five years to combat this type of fraud.
“It allows property owners throughout Montgomery County to receive notice anytime there’s a transaction that occurs that relates to the ownership of their property,” McClain said.
“I’m enrolled myself, because people need to know anybody can come up here and file a fraudulent deed,” McManus said.
Those who sign up will receive an email or letter sent to you within days.
“Registration is completely complimentary. It does not cost anything,” McClain said.
Mobley said she wishes the program existed when the quit claim was originally filed against her.
News Center 7 asked McClain why quit claims can go through without both parties being present and he said that is how the Ohio Revised Code is written.
McManus said his priority bill this year would add more requirements to the law before the property is transferred.
To sign up for the property program you can do so in two minutes at the recorder’s website or you can call their office.
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