Harris County woman accused of forging deeds on 40 homes ordered to pay restitution after judge issue final judgement on case.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A Harris County woman accused of forging property deeds to seize control of more than 40 homes has been ordered to pay back more than $1 million in restitution.
In a press conference Thursday, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee announced the ruling, calling it a major victory for both homeowners who lost their properties and buyers who were misled into paying for homes they never truly owned.
The case dates back to the start of the year when resident Michael Scranton tried to sell his property in Independence Heights. When he secured a real estate agent, they quickly discovered the deed was no longer in his name.
“Somebody had fraudulently signed off and stolen my property just by signing my name, or whatever they did,” Scranton said.
Scranton was the first victim identified in what officials have called a deed fraud scheme run by Alba Martinez and her husband, Jarin. The couple is accused of filing fraudulent paperwork to take control of dozens of properties across Harris County.
Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee said the judge’s late August ruling not only ordered Martinez to pay $1.2 million in restitution to buyers who were duped in the scheme, it also returned the homes to their original owners.
Nevertheless, because some of the homes were fraudulently sold to unsuspecting buyers, legal and financial complications may still arise.
“These scams didn’t just take people’s property, they shattered people’s trust, they disrupted families,” Menefee said. “My office has made clear that we’re not going to sit on the sidelines, we’re going to investigate, we’re going to go to court.”
According to Menefee, many of the defrauded buyers were non-English speakers who believed they were purchasing legitimate homes — often paying cash in the process.
While the case was pursued civilly, Menefee said his office has referred the case to the Harris County DA’s office and criminal charges could still follow.
As for Scranton, his property was signed back to him in February, and he’s since been able to sell it under his name.
“People work hard, they pay for something, it shouldn’t be taken away,” he said.
On Thursday, Menefee explained that his office had to rely on a patchwork of state laws to build the case. But a new law, Senate Bill 15, which took effect September 1, gives county clerks greater power to stop potential scams before they happen.
“They can then put a hold on accepting that document until it’s investigated by us or the DA’s office,” Menefee said. “This is a game changer — it gives us a chance to stop the scam before the scam happens.”
How homeowners can protect themselves
Scranton’s real estate agent, Tracy Brandon, told KHOU 11 there are simple steps homeowners can take to reduce the risk of becoming a victim of deed fraud.
She recommends checking property records regularly, at least once every quarter, to confirm ownership is still in your name. And if you’re selling a property, she stressed the importance of using a licensed title company to handle the process.
To further help residents, the Harris County Attorney’s Office launched ScamFreeHC.com, a website with resources to identify, report, and prevent property deed fraud.
The site also offers information on other common scams targeting Harris County homeowners.
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