CLEVELAND — Daughter Tangie Harris couldn't believe it: how could her mother sign a document and sell the family home in 2025— when she died in 2014?
Harris' mother, Priscilla Harris Norris, lived on East 114th Street for years, and is among several in Northeast Ohio whose signature has been forged in notarized deed documents over the past several years. In this case, the home was gifted to a company called "Happy Home Hunters, LLC."
A quitclaim deed, as it's called, is a simple legal document often used to transfer property between family members or in a divorce.
Over the last year, News 5 has repeatedly told you about the rise of property theft, where documents are forged and properties are sold and sold again without the owner’s knowledge.
Watch our report on a man who stole 19 homes in Cuyahoga County:
RELATED: He was convicted of stealing 19 homes in Cuyahoga County. How is that even possible?
What about the notary who verified Priscilla Harris Norris’ signature?
News 5 tracked down the notary, who is located about an hour away in Kent.
That notary explained to News 5 that he suspects his notarization was forged as well. He provided News 5 with his notary ledger, which showed he had not notarized any documents since 2021, and never notarized any quitclaim deed documents. He also provided News 5 a copy of his notary stamp and signature, which did not match the stamp and signature on Harris Norris' document.
This kind of fraud has been creeping up, argues Brian O’Malley, Cuyahoga County Director of Real Estate Services.
He said it started after the 2008 mortgage crisis and is now to a point where they’re fielding about a call every week where homes are being quickly sold and then sold again to turn a quick profit.
"It’s like a criminal’s playground," he said. "They want to get it in their name and find a buyer to give them well under market value. Now you have two victims: You have the victim who owns the property and the person who just gave up their life savings, thinking they're a homeowner."
And right now, he and his team are stuck with what they can do about it.
"Unfortunately, we do 50,000 transfers annually and they’re by no means handwriting experts," he explained. "So all they can do is confirm its a legitimate notary and the license is current and proceed with the document."
"In today’s litigious society with ID theft and mortgage fraud that we didn’t have many years ago, the role of notary has become increasingly important," Roger Rill, President of the Ohio Society of Notaries, added.
So, who is behind this specific crime, and is there anything that can be done to prevent this?
On Thursday, part two of this investigation will introduce you to a brand-new type of technology, the first of its kind in the nation, about to be introduced in Northeast Ohio. Experts suggest it's set to help protect your home from property thieves on a whole new level.
How can you protect yourself from deed theft and fraudulent listings?
In the meantime, experts told News 5 that time is crucial in cases like this. The more time a criminal has to sell your property and run off with the money, the harder it gets to recover. That’s why many Ohio counties offer free property alerts, a way to notify you if any properties of yours have transferred the day it happens.
RELATED: Here's how someone could easily steal your real estate property -- and what you can do to prevent it
To sign up for a free property alert provided by your county of residence, click on your county where your property is located below:
- Ashland County
- Ashtabula County
- Carroll County
- Cuyahoga County
- Erie County
- Geauga County
- Holmes County
- Huron County
- Lake County
- Lorain County
- Medina County
- Portage County
- Richland County
- Stark County
- Summit County
- Tuscarawas County
- Wayne County
[This is the first part of a two-part investigation. Part 2, which focuses on what is being done to address this kind of fraud, is set to air on News 5 Cleveland at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 8.]
