EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect a new arrest and charges. (Aug. 12, 2022) 

LOS ANGELES — Three homeowners in Los Angeles County are warning against deed fraud after they claim a man filed fraudulent deeds on their properties, claiming they all belonged to him.

One homeowner, Alois Phillips, said she discovered what happened when she was trying to sell her home and her real estate agent ran a title search to confirm she was the legal owner.

“I was the one that bought this house. I pay the taxes. I pay the mortgage and I have not transferred this property to anybody over the last ten years that I’ve had it and so she said, ‘Well, he owns your house,’” she said.

All three homeowners filed civil lawsuits against the man. Two of the cases are still pending and one of the cases resulted in the judge canceling the fake deed on the home.

In terms of criminal charges, none have been filed against the man, but the LA County DA’s office is reviewing all three cases.

Real estate attorney Tiffany Krog offers several tips to avoid falling victim to this type of real estate fraud, which she said could go unnoticed by homeowners if they do not periodically check their property records.

“You should check your title from time to time because when they record these fraudulent deeds, you will not get a copy. They have the copies, the recorded copies, sent to their own address,” she said.

Update: Four days after the story aired on July 23, Deshaun Kim Patrick, the man accused of forging grant deeds on several Los Angeles homes, was arrested and charged by the LA County District Attorney’s Office on five felony counts.