My mom and I bought a home together. We went to the courthouse to sign the deed, she claims I signed as a renter, even though I was the only one with income! However I’m positive that the stipulations of the land contract was that there was to be no renting to anyone until a certain period was up or dollar amount was paid! So how is it that I signed as a renter? I would think since I signed where the one with income signs that would make her my co-signer! Correct? How is this possible that I was the only one with income and she had no income until she was eligible to receive my father’s widows pension from the VA? But managed to not only obtain a mortgage on a home that I was the only one making the payments on but soon after sold it without talking to me or needing me! Then going to purchase a new home on her own elsewhere and I haven’t seen or heard from her since! That was in mid 2023!!! What can I do and where can I obtain concrete answers or information? Please help as I’ve been left in a really bad position of being homeless because of this! Not to mention losing my entire family in a day!!
I'm sorry for this distressing situation... does your Mom have dementia? Or do you think "someone else" did all this for her, like her PoA or even an actual scammer? Do you have a sibling or other relative she would trust who may have an interest in her money?
This is why you need an attorney who will need to see all the paperwork you signed (whether as a renter or a co-owner). IDK why a renter would have to go to the courthouse to sign anything, FYI, but maybe this is a thing in certain states).
"I haven’t seen or heard from her since"
Is this literal, like you have no idea where she is right now? If so... maybe report her as a missing person to the police?
I read your update. I still don't understand what happened. But it does seem you were scammed. Made to believe you owned a home you were paying for. My thoughts, you were put on the Mortgage which does not mean you owned the house. Two completely different things. You should have been put on the deed at time of purchase. Be glad that when Mom sold the house, the mortgage has to be paid at that time.
So sorry for what you are going thru. I think your going to need to just let this go.
The court house should have a copy of the deed and who were former owners. Be aware, being a co-signer for a mortgage has nothing to do with being on the deed. When selling a house there is a title search. If you, too, were on the deed, Mom could not sell the house without your permission. So, Mom sells the house, the mortgage lender gets their money and Mom gets what is left.
Who paid the taxes? Whose name was on the tax bill? If only Moms name, then you were not on the deed. If you have no money I doubt you can afford a lawyer because you need one. This should have all been questioned at the time the house was sold.
So, you were making payments -- to who? Presumably a mortgage company? Were they sending you a monthly statement with the bill, showing how much you had paid, how much was still owed, how your payment was being allocated between principle and interest? What happened to these monthly bills? Did they just stop, or are you still receiving them?
Or were you paying someone else in some other way, which might mean your money was going toward rental payments instead of a mortgage? As JoAnn asked, were you receiving property tax bills -- whose name was on them and who was paying them? Or did you not receive these?
What happened that caused you to leave the house you thought you owned and were paying the mortgage on? Did you receive written eviction notices that you could have appealed? Did the sheriff show up and remove you and your belongings from the house? Or did someone show up claiming to be a new owner?
These are details that could help unravel this mystery. For starters, as others have said, who owns a home, and home sales, are public records. Go online on the city or county website and search for the address. You might find the ownership history there. If not, go to the courthouse where you signed the paperwork and ask for their help in seeing the records.
I'm sorry if you have been manipulated by your mother, or if someone manipulated her into taking advantage of you. You may need a real estate attorney to help you, but in the meantime we can try to help you at least figure out what to present to him or her.
Have a blessed day!
Also, your Mom will be able to be located using publicly available platforms, usually for a fee. Eventually she will change her address on her drivers license and other documents which create a trail that these platforms track.
When you sign the deed to the house, the court clerk doesn't know or care how much income you have or who is paying the mortgage. The sale document would have shown (typed) the name of the buyer(s). This is something the seller, the realtor, or the title company would have ensured was accurate.
The bank would have record of the loan agreement and your mortgage payments. Can you go to the bank and ask them for those records? I don't know that it will matter now, if you can show proof you made mortgage payments.
You've waited a really long time to try and resolve this. And it's too late to recover the home. It's already been sold. You must not have been living there, or you would have been aware that it was being sold. How did you find out she obtained a mortgage? Or that she sold the home and moved? Why did you not step up then and contest the sale of a home you are part owner of?
I don't know if there is anyone who can help you now or can provide answers which will satisfy you.
The best you can do now is prove you were on the deed. If so, then sue Mom for half the proceeds she received.
Sounds like a tragic situation that has no good outcome.
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