Texas Homeowners Accuse Local Company Of Tricking Them Into Signing Over Homes

In North Texas, CBS-11 reports:

• Dina Clayburn went from living in a 1,200 square foot, 3-bedroom house in Arlington, to living in a small 1-bedroom apartment in Euless. "You have to understand I was in a total state of defeat." Clayburn says she was in bankruptcy, getting a divorce and about to lose her house. To try and avoid foreclosure she contacted Ramona Beasley and James Schultz, who have a website stating "we can help you stop foreclosure." According to Clayburn, the husband and wife team from Terrell said, "They would come in and move you out and pay for the deposit on anything." It seemed like a great idea and best of all, no foreclosure - so Clayburn signed the papers.

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• Clayburn says she was tricked into signing a warranty deed transferring ownership from her name to I Buy Inc., a company Ramona Beasley says is at least partially owned by her daughter.

For more, see CBS 11 Investigates Foreclosure Rescue Company. (read story) (watch video).

Editor's Note:

The State of Texas apparently has a criminal offense known as "securing execution of documents by deception." An article some time ago reported that a San Antonio-area woman pleaded no contest to this charge for tricking a vulnerable homeowner into signing away his home. See:

• San Antonio Express News: Woman pleads no contest to fleecing octogenarian ("Charlotte Smith, 56, pleaded no contest [...] to two counts of securing execution of documents by deception. She was accused by the state of bleeding Wallace Moore's accounts and transferring his ownership of the house into her name.").

In a follow-up story, the San Antonio Express News reported that she received ten years in prison for her offenses:

• Woman gets 10 years for home sale scheme ("Charlotte Smith, 56, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay more than $380,000 in restitution [...] after pleading no contest to two counts of securing execution of documents by deception.")

I wonder if the criminal offense of "securing execution of documents by deception" would be applicable in the currently reported story.

Go here for criminal prosecutions of foreclosure rescue operators.