Elderly Georgia couple faces turmoil as a swindler falsely claims their home of two decades using fraudulent documents.
An alleged swindler plunged an elderly Georgia homeowner into a nightmarish situation by using fraudulent documents to claim ownership of his cherished property. Charles Allman, a 77-year-old retiree, and his wife, Charmaine, had lived in their cozy Stone Mountain home for over two decades. However, their peaceful existence abruptly shattered when officials told them they no longer owned the house they had lovingly called home.
The Shocking Turn of Events
The news blindsided the Allmans. They had found sanctuary in their quaint abode, nestled just 16 miles east of Atlanta, a place where they had woven memories into the very fabric of its walls. But on that fateful Tuesday, someone unceremoniously told them to vacate. “They made us feel like we were squatters,” Charmaine Allman lamented to WSB-TV. The couple found their belongings tossed out onto the lawn, scattered like discarded remnants of a life well-lived.
The Alleged Swindle
The heart of this distressing saga lies in the fraudulent claim made by an anonymous man. Armed with falsified deeds, he boldly asserted ownership of the Allmans’ home. The couple’s bewilderment grew when they received letters confirming a second mortgage—a mortgage they knew nothing about. “We don’t have no more mortgage,” Charles Allman asserted. The new homeowner, claiming to have purchased the house from a foreclosure, left the Allmans grappling with disbelief.
A Heartbreaking Arrest
Charles Allman’s refusal to leave the place he had called home for over two decades led to his arrest for Criminal Trespassing. At 77 years old, he found himself in handcuffs, bewildered and without a place to go. “How does this happen, period?” Charmaine Allman questioned. “It’s very upsetting to see my husband placed in the car because he didn’t want to leave his home. He has nowhere to go. No family.”
The Vulnerability of Homeowners
Real estate attorney Richard Alembik highlighted a disturbing trend: the ease with which deeds can be forged and recorded. “It’s too easy to forge a deed and record it,” he explained. The rise of e-filing and e-recording has made this vulnerability even more pronounced. Notaries, it seems, fail to verify the identity of those submitting documents, leaving unsuspecting homeowners at risk. Even victims with proof of rightful ownership can find themselves ordered to move out and pay fines.