Harris County is fed up with a Houston title company that’s been accused of scamming homebuyers and sellers for years.
The county sued Patriot Title, accusing it of fraud and preying on the elderly, KHOU reported. Patriot Title has been sued over 20 times in the last decade, according to Harris County attorney Christian Menefee.
Charles Kelly, an alleged victim of Patriot, claims the company bought his family’s house and ghosted them. They didn’t hear from the company and couldn’t reach anyone until they were told that their house in the Acres Homes had been destroyed.
Menefee said the company takes advantage of clients who can’t afford to hire an attorney.
“Buying a home is one of the most important decisions a family makes. We can not allow companies to take advantage of people during that process, leaving them deprived of both the home they hoped to buy and thousands of dollars,” Menefee told the outlet.
The charges against Patriot include receiving escrow funds from a buyer during a transaction and refusing to release those funds to the seller, partaking in a real estate transaction involving a forged deed, and selling property not owned by the company to an unsuspecting buyer.
Patriot Title is an unaccredited firm and has an F rating, according to the Better Business Bureau.
“I hope the rest of the people that had been punished by the company come forward and help us out so we can get something resolved,” Kelly told the outlet.
—Quinn Donoghue
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