A Belleview woman was arrested on fraud and forgery charges after she allegedly filed a fake deed with the county in an attempt to claim a foreclosed property as her own.
On Saturday, October 26, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a home on SE 123rd Lane in Belleview in reference to fraud. Upon arriving at the incident location, the deputy made contact with the real estate agent for the new homeowner/victim, according to the arrest report.
The agent advised that the property in question had been “foreclosed on and then sold to the victim.” When the agent and victim arrived at the home to perform a final walk through and complete the closing documents on Friday, October 25, they discovered that the locks on the home had been changed.
The report stated that the agent and victim were then informed by a witness that the new owner of the home was 48-year-old Amy Linn Ramirez.
The deputy noted in the report that a copy of the contract and deed was provided, which showed the transfer of the property from a loan servicing company to the victim. The documents were signed and dated the previous day (October 25).
After speaking with the agent and victim, the deputy made contact with Ramirez over the phone. She claimed that she had “a warranty deed to the property,” though she refused to show this document to the deputy. She then told the deputy that the matter was “civil” before terminating the call.
On Wednesday, October 30, the victim’s real estate agent informed the deputy that Ramirez had filed a “fraudulent warranty deed” with the Marion County Clerk of Court. The report stated that a records search revealed that a warranty deed had been filed, which listed “Amy Linn Ramirez Estate” as the grantor and “Amy Linn Ramirez Trust” as the grantee.
The grantor and grantee signatures on the deed were completed by Ramirez, and the deed was notarized in September.
On Tuesday, November 19, the deputy made contact with the witness who had previously spoken with the victim and real estate agent. The witness, who was a neighbor of Ramirez, stated that Ramirez had claimed to have purchased the home.
The witness further advised that they helped Ramirez change the locks at the home “as a favor.”
Less than a week later, the deputy had another conversation with Ramirez over the phone, and she allegedly admitted to filing the listed warranty deed with the Marion County Clerk of Court. During the phone interview, Ramirez told the deputy that she began “educating herself” on foreclosure laws, and she allegedly mentioned that she also filed paperwork through the court system in an attempt to “clear the title history” and claim the property as her own.
Ramirez was arrested on Wednesday, November 27, and she was transported to Marion County Jail. The following day, she was released from jail after posting a $5,000 bond. She is being charged with unlawfully filing a false document and forging an altered instrument.
On Tuesday, December 31, Ramirez is scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m., according to jail records.