Southeast Missouri Hit With Rash Of Home Title Thefts

KFVS-TV Channel 12 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri has recently reported on a rash of forgeries and other improprieties that is threatening the property ownership of many Missouri residents. In one story, a 78-year-old Sikeston man reportedly had the title to three properties that he owned sold out from under him as a result of a forgery of his signature. According to the story:

• "Scott County Recorder Tom Dirnberger noticed an unusual pattern in property sales, dating back to 2004. Dirnberger explains is as a three part process: 1. Low-end rental homes are bought 2. The homes are purchased through an out-of-state bank for two to three times their assessed value 3. The homes are foreclosed on just a few months later. Dirnberger [says] he's seen hundreds of properties sold like this, adding up to more than $15 million. In the last few weeks, he's also received several calls from local property owners wanting to check their deeds."

The Sikeston man is currently represented by Missouri attorney Jim Robison, who filed a "petition to set aside deeds and deeds of trust" in order to restore clear title to the three properties in the victim's name. Robison is reportedly also representing three other Scott County property owners, who have also experienced the same problem with forged signatures. For more:

• watch Part 1 - Channel 12 TV report, (by reporter Kathy Sweeney)
• watch Part 2 - Channel 12 TV report, or
• to read online report, see House-jacked in the Heartland.

For another Channel 12 story, this time of a Millersville, Missouri family whose home is threatened with foreclosure due to what appears to be a skimming scam, where payments made by the homeowner to one party (a modular home vendor) weren't ultimately remitted to the mortgage lender who now seeks foreclosure, see:

• House jacked...again!, or go here to watch the Channel 12 TV report. (by reporter Crystal Britt).

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