DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 01, 2011
Police are warning that squatters are getting more clever, even presenting fake deeds to try to prove ownership of a property without ever paying a dime.
A Raleigh, N.C., man was recently arrested and faces several charges for allegedly squatting for at least seven months in a home valued at nearly $2 million and filing a fake deed and paperwork with the county, according to police.
Thomas Everette Jr., 31, allegedly created a fake company--the International Fidelity Trust--and created forged documents and a false deed that he filed at the county’s Register of Deeds to transfer the home to himself at no cost, according to police reports.
The $1.9 million, 7,664-square-foot home, which fell into foreclosure last year, boasts six bedrooms, six full bathrooms, theater and game rooms, a wine cellar, elevator, and a swimming pool.
A neighbor had contacted police to report someone living in the home since February. Everette avoided arrest back in February by showing paperwork that showed him as the trustee of the property.
State Attorney General Roy Cooper recently warned city officials that a group of residents had been filing fake paperwork at the county’s Register of Deeds office trying to claim ownership of at least six foreclosed homes.
Source: “Man Accused of Being a Squatter in N. Raleigh; $2 Million Home, No Money Down,” The News & Observer (Aug. 31, 2011)
