DESPITE a joyful court day win, one victim of fraud has yet to see reconciliation put into practice.
Raevene Wiggins had become a victim of quit claim deed fraud, taking the matter to court and winning.
In 2023, Raevene Wiggins discovered that her Dayton, Ohio family home had been stolen by a quit claim deed scamCredit: WDTN
She took the fraud to court and won, but was met with another obstacle immediately afterCredit: WDTN
The home had been in her family for 40 years but required massive renovations and upkeepCredit: WDTN
A Dayton, Ohio local, Wiggins became aware of the fraud in June of 2023 while trying to do home renovations.
While seeking out the proper line of approvals for her renovations, she was told that she no longer owned her home, reported local NBC news affiliate WDTN.
Only days before she was told about the title change, a fraudulent quit claim deed was filed transferring ownership to the fraudster.
Quit claim deeds are legal documents that allow a person to transfer ownership of a property to another person without proof of sale.
They are commonly used to gift homes between family members and can be legitimate legal documents, but the one taking Wiggins’ home was not.
A few days after discovering the fraud, Wiggin’s true homeowner took the matter to court, suing for the home to be returned to her name.
In an inspiring twist, the court returned a relatively quick decision, ordering that the Montgomery County Auditor return the home to Wiggins through proper paperwork.
She thought this would be the end of the ordeal, having won a difficult legal battle, but instead, she was met with the auditor denying to adhere to the court order.
Claiming that there are additional steps to be taken prior to the deed being returned to Wiggins, the auditor has demanded that she file the court order as the new deed.
This action will “invalidate” the fraudulent deed, but the scammer’s document will remain attached to the history of the home.
Upon receiving this instruciton, Wiggins’ concern was twofold.
From an emotional perspective, she abhorred the idea of having to relive the fraud ordeal while filing, and then every time after when she might have to reference the paperwork.
Considering a more practical worry, Wiggins feared that the fraudulent deed being attached to the home’s paperwork would impact her ability to seek out loans to renovate the home.
As of February 2024, the court order had yet to be carried out and the fraudulent deed remained on file.
Wiggins won her court battle which resulted in a court order for the county auditorCredit: WDTN
As Wiggins had been intending to do in June of 2023, Wiggins feels she must renovate the property to carry on a family legacy.
“This property has been in my family for…40 years,” she explained.
“So this is pretty much like the last thing that I have of my grandmother…my uncle. So that’s why it means so much to me.”
In order to take care of the property, including its renovations and upkeep, only made possible through loans, are necessary.
“My goal for the property is to have it renovated and be able to live in it and to stay inside my Daytonian roots,” she said.
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