Daniel Michie, 33, Marathon, Florida, had his name added to the deeds of two lots owned by his 68 year old mother without her permission. He then obtained a mortgage for $137,000 on the property, again without her permission. Trial is set to begin February 20, 2012.
The victim discovered this when she went to the tax collector’s office to pay her taxes on the property. She reported it to the Sheriff’s Office on July 16, 2010 after consulting with her attorney.
She also reported discovering a reverse mortgage taken out on her primary residence on Sunset Drive, Monroe County, Florida, that she was not aware of and did not give permission for. She said her son, who’d taken out the mortgage, hadn’t made payments on it and the bank was now foreclosing on the home.
She told the detective her son and his girlfriend had been living with her at the residence for some time. She said they frequently intimidated and frightened her; she said they would not allow her to use parts of her own residence and she reported the house was dirty with dishes and rotten food in the sink; she said the girlfriend’s dog defecates on the floor and it isn’t cleaned up for days. Victim Advocate Carol Albury-Johnson assisted the victim with obtaining a restraining order against her son for domestic violence.
The Notary Public who was used to conduct the deed changes and the mortgage documents was interviewed. She admitted to notarizing the documents even though the victim wasn’t present to sign them. Michie‘s girlfriend was also interviewed; she said she was present while many of the fraudulent documents were signed. She said Michie signed his mother’s name and told her he had permission to do so.
Warrants were issued for Michie and he was arrested on charges of mortgage fraud, exploitation of the elderly and forgery.
Detective Mark Maison conducted the investigation.
