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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!!

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You need an attorney since we are not professionals and this is a global anonymous forum where wrong answers or advice have no accountability.

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?
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Reply to Geaton777
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If you are under 65 and on SSI you must have a disability of somekind? If so, have you tried for Social Security disability? Have you gone to Social Services and asked for housing. Food vouchers?

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.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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Why have you waited to do anything until now? Its been 2 years.

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.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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First, a deed for a house and a land contract are two different things. Second, the buyers don't sign the deed. The sellers sign that they are turning the house over to the buyers. So, if you signed a deed at the courthouse, were you actually signing as the seller rather than a buyer? Third, renters have nothing to do with signing a deed. Whatever paperwork you signed as "the one with income" would have been either a mortgage or a rental agreement. Do you have copies of whatever paperwork you signed anywhere along the way?

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.
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Reply to MG8522
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QueenPita Dec 12, 2025
We went to the bank together and opened an account which we called, “The House Account!” When it came to the bills, everything else was in her name because when my ex finance pulled something really grimy he made it to where, at the time I was unable to get utilities turned on in my name without a waiting period or paying so much of the balance off. Needless to say I would just deposit money into the house account and would every once in a while check in to make sure WE were in the good! But when she turned 65 EVERYTHING CHANGED! She was able to file with the VA for my father’s pension as his widow. She began being very crass with me. Often made comments as though I was her mooch of a daughter. All of a sudden I was no longer on the insurance policy for the vehicles that I also paid off! In starting to realize there’s a bit of a pattern here! Yup! My mother used me! I’m pretty sure this was her plan all along! And when my niece and her finance came to live with us and their 3 kids, my mother and the 2 of them used each other! Leaving me in the dust! 🤦🏼‍♀️ What a head trip and the biggest heartbreak I’ve ever encountered! I remember my mom saying something about being about to get the property tax lowered. I’m wondering if the VA helped with that with any of the programs they offer. And if that’s the case, I’m wondering if she used me to get it or do that! I’m disabled and have been since I was 12. When my dad found out he had cancer all over his body we went to the social security office so that he could add me to his claim. After his passing I got a notification mailed to me from the SSA office saying there’d been a change in my benefits. However I didn’t see that notification letter for 2 yrs after it was mailed. When I went looking for the paperwork on the house I found it tucked away in the top of a closet unopened! When I opened it I read that all I needed to do was to show up at their office with my ID and birth certificate! I have been fighting with them ever since!! It’s been sheer hell!! I did end up going to the VA myself since the SSA won’t give me any answers! I was finally awarded benefits since I was able to prove when my disability began. But almost a year later my SSI check was cut by over half of what it was. When I contacted them I was told it’s because of my new income! I said new? It’s not new and you were informed of this and nothing changed till now? So my guess on this is as good as the one I’ve got about my mother! But for some reason I keep feeling like they’re tied together! Because out of all three of them I can’t get not one answer! I live in Ohio by the way if that helps anything or anyone with being able to help me with this mystery. Thanks again so much!
Have a blessed day!
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Thanks for your reply below, Queen. When you were making the payments, who were you sending the money to?
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Reply to MG8522
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These are public documents. Go to your courthouse or records offices and access what you signed. In future do know it is very important to keep copies of deeds, other documents you sign. You may need an attorney if you feel you can 't handle this on your own. Wishing you the best of luck with it all.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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QueenPita Dec 12, 2025
Thank you so much for your kind words and advice! I appreciate you. Have a blessed day
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You need a real estate lawyer to reconstruct what happened.

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.
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Reply to dhalpern
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If you signed a deed, you should be able to get a copy of that deed from the courthouse, if you didn't save a copy for yourself at the time. I can't imagine a scenario where I would sign the deed as an owner of a house and not keep a copy of it or know what it says. That was an unfortunate mistake.

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.
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Reply to CaringWifeAZ
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I so hope for this sale a Realtor was involved. If so, I would go back and askvto look at the paperwork. Even when not going thru a Realtor, there should be a Title search to protect the buyer. That search would determine who is the owner or owners. If its showed there were two owners, the house could not be sold without the other owners signature. The proceeds would have been split.

The best you can do now is prove you were on the deed. If so, then sue Mom for half the proceeds she received.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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LakeErie Dec 21, 2025
It had nothing to do with realtors. Her name was either on the title or it wasn't. It appears that it wasn't, as the title to the house would not have transferred without her signature on the paperwork related to the sale.

Sounds like a tragic situation that has no good outcome.
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My answer comes a little late, but I can add that, even though you may not appear on the deed, if you were making payments with the understanding that you were a joint owner, and your mom wanted you to believe that and made you believe that, there’s a crime known as Unjust Enrichment that fits this kind of situation. You would need to consult with an attorney to find out your options, a lot of times the first meeting is provided at no charge. You might even try several attorneys.
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