This retired teacher was tossed out of her Houston home of 45-plus years — here’s how others may be at risk too

A retired teacher from Houston has found herself in real estate limbo after being unceremoniously kicked out of her home without warning.

In September 2023, Wanda Jackson’s belongings were abruptly dumped on the front lawn of her house, leaving her with nothing but a few pieces of furniture.

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Jackson, who had lived in the home since 1977, hadn’t put the property up for sale, nor did she have any intention of moving. As it turns out, a “winding series of questionable real estate transactions” had left the retiree in an increasingly vulnerable situation.

“Let me just say, [I’m] pissed off,” she told ABC13.

Here’s how the situation unfolded — and what you can do to prevent something similar from happening to you.

What happened

Jackson told ABC13 that, just as the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, her home had been in dire need of repairs — nothing too major, but enough to inspire her to seek out a handyman.

At first it seemed like kismet when a church friend recommended a man named Malcolm Pryor. According to documents reviewed by ABC13, Jackson paid for several repairs “out of pocket” before falling seriously ill for several months in 2021. But, the repairs were made and Jackson thought nothing else of it.

However, on Aug. 12, 2022, Pryor alleged that Jackson never paid him for his work and filed a mechanic’s lien on her house via his company, SDP Development. Unbeknownst to Jackson, one month later, paperwork for her property was deeded over to another company owned by Pryor, South Victory Group, LLC.

Story continues

“I don’t remember signing anything with him,” she said in an interview with the media outlet. “Because I was going through therapy, trying to get over COVID, trying to learn how to walk again. And I was not necessarily feeling good.”

Two days after Pryor took legal possession, he sold the property to a local investor for a mere $50,000.

A few months later, in February 2023, the investor sold the property back to Pryor for $262,500. Records obtained by ABC13 revealed that Pryor paid for it by taking out a hard money loan from Noble Mortgage, a local financier.

However, records show that Pryor never made a single payment on the loan, forcing Noble Mortgage to foreclose on Jackson’s house within two months.

Within that seven-month timespan, Jackson’s house had had four different owners — all without her knowledge. That changed in April 2023, when a “shocked” Jackson received an envelope in the mail detailing the foreclosure and asking her to vacate the premises.

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No satisfying resolution

Although Jackson scrambled to find a lawyer to take on her case, she wasn’t able to fight the eviction before she was forced to leave the home she’d owned for more than 40 years and move into a small apartment.

Making matters even worse, Jackson revealed she’d also hired Pryor to make repairs to her late mother’s home, which had been left to her in her mother’s will. Through similar documentation that Jackson also doesn’t remember signing, she lost her mother’s house. It has since been sold to investors.

A follow-up report from ABC13 reveals that on March 13, the Houston Police Department criminally charged Pryor with a second-degree felony for filing a false statement to obtain credit. In court documents, investigators allege he used fake bank statements to secure the loan from Noble Mortgage, which he then defaulted on.

But the unfortunate reality is that even as Pryor faces charges, Jackson is unlikely to ever get her home back. Her property has already been sold to another investor.

How to protect yourself against home title fraud

Home title fraud may not be as common as other types of scams against seniors — like sweepstakes scams or robocalls, for example — but it’s still a possible threat.

Data from the FBI says 11,727 individuals in the U.S. amassed real estate losses of $396 million due to fraud in 2022. They’d also noted that real estate fraud specifically had increased by a whopping 64% between 2020 and 2021 alone — right around the time Jackson would have first met Pryor.

These types of scam artists know that many older people boast a valuable asset: homeownership.

Be wary of anyone pressuring you to get a reverse mortgage, for example. Or, as in Jackson’s case, someone offering home repairs — especially if they contacted you directly and offered to arrange the financing on your behalf.

According to Forbes, there are several ways to protect yourself from home title theft, including being careful with your personal information, keeping track of your mail and getting owner’s title insurance.

As for Jackson, ABC13 visited her former home and noted that new windows were already installed and the red brick was painted white.

“I’m mad at everybody concerned,” she said. “You do not walk around and take people’s property just because you can.”

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.