Discover Easy Ways To Prevent Yourself From Falling Prey To Rental Scams
With foreclosures and short sales being quite prevalent in and around Riverside County, CA with the great recession, it seems that a few less than honorable crooks have decided to capitalize on this. One such person is Antonio Rios Simon who was recently booked on suspicion of grand theft among other allegations. According to the news, Mr. Simon stated the theory of “adverse possession” as the reason why it was okay for him to rental out homes to people even though he was not the legal owner.
Adverse possession occurs when a person acquires title to another person’s property through continuous and notorious occupancy for five years, under a claim of title. Mr. Simon will have to prove that all the legal elements pertaining to adverse possession were met for this defense to fly.
As a homeowner that may be an absentee owner, you can protect yourself by:
1. Ensuring that your home is securely locked at all times
2. Enlisting the help of a friend, family member or property management service to periodically and regularly check on your home
3. Paying your property taxes yourself
4. Making sure that anyone you allow to live in the home pays rent
As a buyer that may rent a home, you can protect yourself by:
1. Working through a reputable rental agency to rent the home
2. Having the rental agency check to see who is actually on title as the owner of the property
3. Finding out if the home is currently in default or foreclosure
4. Save and buy your own home, then you’ll always know who the owner is
While this tips will not protect you 100% of the time, they are helpful pre-cautions that could point out red-flag warnings. Be safe. Be wise.
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