Harris County is tired of a Houston title firm that has been accused of defrauding homebuyers and sellers for years.
County sues Patriot Title alleging it defrauded and preyed on seniors, KHOU report. Patriot Title has been sued more than 20 times over the past decade, according to Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee.
Charles Kelly was a victim of the Patriots Corporation, which he claims bought his family’s home and cast a shadow over them. They heard from the company and were unable to contact anyone until they were told that their home at Akers House had been destroyed.
Menifee said the company took advantage of clients who could not afford lawyers.
“Buying a home is one of the most important decisions a family makes. We cannot allow companies to take advantage of people in the process by depriving them of the home and thousands of dollars they hoped to buy,” Menifee told the outlet.
The charges against Patriot include receiving escrow funds from buyers during transactions and refusing to release those funds to sellers, engaging in real estate transactions involving forged deeds and selling properties not owned by the company to unsuspecting buyers.
According to the Better Business Bureau, Patriot Title is an unaccredited company with an F rating.
Kelly told the media: “I hope that other people who have been punished by the company will come forward and help us so that we can solve the problem.”
— Quinn Donoghue
