Palm Beach County investigating rise in “quit claim” deeds

The Palm Beach County clerk of courts is investigating an uptick in suspicious “quit claim” deeds filed on vacant homes, the latest real estate scam to hit South Florida in the wake of the foreclosure crisis. The scammers will typically transfer the interest in a chosen property to themselves using forged signatures from the previous owners, and subsequently either rent out the home to new tenants or live inside it themselves. Once the actual homeowner finds out, it can cost thousands of dollars in legal fees to evict the occupants and confirm their ownership of the property. [Palm Beach Post]