Legal Bills Pile Up For BC Homeowner In Effort To Get Back Home Stolen From Out From Under Him

In Richmond, British Columbia, canada.com reports:

• Richmond [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] are investigating what is believed to the city's first-ever case of house theft. Norman Gettel, a retired press operator, had his house literally stolen out from under him in June 2007. One year later, he is still waiting to get back title on the home he has owned since 1985, and the legal bills are piling up. "I'm out quite a few thousand dollars already," he said. "I'm going to spend the money because I want my house back."

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• The scheme starts with identity theft and ends with a bank holding the bag on a defaulted mortgage.(1) It also ends with the homeowner having to spend a considerable amount of time, money and effort to get legal title back.

For more, see Scam artists steal house (Richmond RCMP are investigating what is believed to the city's first-ever case of house theft).

In another story on British Columbia home title ripoffs, see B.C. Appellate Court Sides With Victims Who Lost Homes In Deed/Refinance Scams Involving Use Of Forged Documents; Duped Lenders End Up Holding The Bag.

Go here, Go here, Go here, Go here, Go here, and Go here for other posts related to deed or refinancing scams by forgery, swindle, power of attorney abuse, etc.

(1) According to the story, the sale is on paper only. If any money changes hands, it comes and goes from the same criminal organization's pocket. Nor do the new owners try to take possession of the house. The fraudsters make their money by taking out mortgages on the newly transferred properties. By the time anyone notices something is awry, the thieves have scammed the bank out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. DeedGammaTheft