Head Polk County Cop To Adverse Possession-Claiming Crackpots: Try That Crap Here & We'll Cart Your Can Off To Jail! "They’re Not Even Going Far Enough w/ Their Fraud & Their Scheme To Pay The Taxes..."
- A Lakeland woman whom authorities say moved into a foreclosed-upon home without permission found herself residing in another free residence this week:
The Polk County Jail.
Deputies arrested 31-year-old Stacy Ann Fuchs on Tuesday and charged her with burglary and grand theft of $100,000 or more.
"You just can't move into someone else's legally owned property," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. "There is no such thing as a free lunch, and we are going to arrest people who try this scam to steal homes in Polk County."
Neighborhood watch President Jean Lichtel first noticed something was wrong and contacted the homeowner, Cynthia Westley. “I was shocked to think people can just go and put this claim in and just move into somebody’s home,” said Lichtel.
Westley, who had reached an amicable foreclosure agreement with her lender and voluntarily vacated her home at 6383 Tierra Vista Cir., Lakeland, noticed that the locks on the house had been changed. Westley said she contacted her lender, who told her no one had been granted permission to enter the home.
Deputies went to the home and met Fuchs, who told them she had researched the legal process known as adverse possession and believed she had a legal right to move into the home.
Deputies disagreed and arrested her. Judd said the adverse possession form he said the suspect filled out before moving in, only applies to homes a person is paying taxes on.
“In this particular case they’re not even going far enough with their fraud and their scheme to pay the taxes. They’re just changing the locks, moving in and filing the form with the property appraiser,” said Judd.
Polk County sheriff's deputies arrested 40-year-old Lessie Hurd in a similar case last month.
She was charged with scheming to defraud, burglary, and grand theft for changing the locks on three houses and claiming adverse possession.
For the video story, see Sheriff Judd: We’re gonna let you squat at jail.
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