Quick Summary
- Property fraud does not always begin with an unknown criminal, and fraudulent ownership changes can arise from people who already have access to personal documents or signatures.
- In Florida, court records describe a forged quitclaim deed that used a property owner's signature stamp to remove him as co-owner of a family home before a corrective deed restored his ownership.
A forged quitclaim deed in Florida removed a Fort Lauderdale-area property owner from joint ownership of a Cooper City home, according to court records summarized in a recent disciplinary case. The property had been jointly owned by a mother and her son with rights of survivorship. In 2023, documents were prepared that removed the son and made the mother the sole owner. The disputed deed was later determined to contain a forged notarized signature created using the son's signature stamp. An attorney who assisted with obtaining and handling the deed later acknowledged her role in the physical steps involved but maintained that she did not know the document was forged.
The forged transfer did not remain in place. A corrective quitclaim deed was filed less than a month later, restoring the son as co-owner. The Florida Supreme Court subsequently suspended the attorney for one year after rejecting a shorter disciplinary recommendation. The attorney and the other participant had also previously entered no-contest pleas in related criminal cases and received probation. The case illustrates an important deed-fraud reality: sophisticated hacking is not always required. Access to an owner's signature, documents, or trusted relationships can be enough to create paperwork that changes how ownership appears in the public record.
This story was first posted on floridarealestatewire.com
How This Type of Fraud Works
- Someone with access to property information obtains or reproduces an owner's signature.
- A quitclaim deed is prepared removing or changing an owner.
- The signature is falsely notarized or otherwise represented as genuine.
- The document is filed and ownership appears changed.
- A corrective deed or legal action may be necessary to restore the legitimate ownership record.
