I Cut Off My Family. Then I Discovered They Had Put Me on a Mortgage Without My Permission.
A woman thought she had finally escaped her family's financial manipulation after cutting contact with them last year. Instead, she says she just discovered something even worse. The trouble started when her parents asked her to co-sign a mortgage for her younger sister. She refused. According to her, her parents were furious and accused her of being selfish. Not long after, she discovered a credit card had been opened in her name without her permission. She reported it, froze her credit, moved to another state, and cut all contact with her family. She thought that chapter of her life was over. Then a letter arrived. The notice came from the county recorder's office and referenced a newly recorded mortgage document. Curious, she looked it up. What she found left her stunned. Her name was listed as a co-borrower on a home loan. There was only one problem. She says she never applied for the loan. She never signed the paperwork. And she wasn't even in the same state on the day the documents claimed she signed them. Determined to find out what happened, she contacted the lender's fraud department and requested information about the loan application. According to her, the electronic signature records showed that the paperwork was completed using the same internet connection as her parents' home. Things got even stranger when she contacted the notary listed on the documents. The notary allegedly admitted in writing that she verified the woman's identity through a video call and a photo provided by the woman's mother. Armed with what she believes is proof of fraud, the woman immediately took action. She filed police reports for identity theft and forgery. She reported the notary. She contacted federal authorities. She hired a lawyer. And she demanded that the lender remove her name from the loan. Her actions could cause major problems for the mortgage and potentially put her sister's home at risk. But she says that isn't her responsibility. Her argument is simple: "If the house only exists because my identity was stolen, then it was never secure in the first place." Not everyone agrees. Some people believe she is absolutely right to protect herself and report what appears to be fraud. Others feel she should have given her family a chance to fix the situation privately before involving lawyers and law enforcement. Now she's left wondering whether she's doing the right thing or whether she's gone too far. Both Sides: Her Side: * Her identity was allegedly stolen. * Her signature was allegedly forged. * She could be held legally responsible for a loan she never agreed to. * Reporting the fraud is the only way to protect herself. The Family's Side: * Reporting the fraud could cause the mortgage to collapse. * Her sister could lose her home. * Some believe family matters should be handled privately first. Questions Before The Court Is she right to report the fraud immediately? Should she have given her family a chance to fix the situation first? If her sister loses the house, who is really responsible?