This Houston woman lost her grandmother’s home to a title theft scheme involving at least 37 properties. Why scammers can easily perpetrate this fraud — and how to protect your property

Victims face a fight to get their property restored

The Martinezes have been working their scam for a while, allegedly earning tens of thousands by transferring properties with documents stamped by fake notaries. Investigators said it's unclear how many homeowners were harmed, but one victim, Jamie Hartley, is speaking out about the loss of her grandmother's home that she inherited along with her brother when her father died.

Hartley said she didn't know anything was wrong until she visited the property in 2023.

"Me and my brother came just to check the mail. We saw that there was a fence, and we see workers working on the house, pulling stuff out. So we’re like. ‘What’s going on? We haven’t hired you. Who are you? How did you get on the property?’” she told KPRC 2 News reporters.

Sadly, she found the house had been sold by the Martinezes for $53,000, without her knowledge. It's now been out of her control for two years and fallen into disrepair.

“To see it in this condition, it is extremely hurtful,” Hartley said.

“It meant everything to us. All of their belongings and everything from like my grandmother’s pictures, family memorabilia, everything was in there.”

Hartley says she has spent thousands fighting a multiyear court battle to get the home returned, but so far has had no success.

“We have to basically be standing in court as if we are the ones that’s lying or we are the ones that actually don’t own the property when in fact we do,” she said.

“It’s been completely frustrating and it’s been time-consuming, for sure.”

The court would need to undo the transfer of the property to the new owner, who was also a potential victim as they likely didn't know they were buying from someone with no true legal claim to the property.

Unfortunately, even if the lawsuit against the Martinezes is successful, the county may be unable to get restitution for victims who, like Hartley, will likely be forced to hire private attorneys to reverse the wrongful deed transfers.

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How can homeowners protect themselves?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has some advice to help homeowners avoid ending up in a similar situation to Hartley:

• To thwart scammers, homeowners should make sure someone is checking on vacant properties often and should monitor to ensure they receive all their normal utility bills.

• Homeowners can also check their local records office and, in many areas, sign up to be alerted about changes to property ownership.

• Home buyers may also want to make sure they get title insurance in case it turns out they were unknowing participants in a fraudulent deal.

Hartley faces an uphill battle now to get the family home back. Sorting out the mess has taken far too long already, and those who want to avoid a similar fate should be proactive in taking steps to keep their properties safe.

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