Chicago family pays thousands to keep home mistakenly built on wrong lot

[@CarolynForney]

The title company, the county assessor , the closing attorney and any parties involved should take responsibility . The government has no mercy.

[@stephannieq2837]

@Carolyn, you are so right! We are going through something similar as this family and we had a home built in west Garfield Park around the same time they had theirs. We first went with a builder in Lawndale and that process fell through because of mismanagement of the organization that was over the housing program. Not at least surprised about the cook county assessors office actions at all.

[@CarolynForney]

@@stephannieq2837Government agencies in large metro area are not helpful. Common sense is not common for them. There is proof that these folks didn’t do this to themselves. This is an easy fix .

[@bgknowable]

The title company! Come on… There had to be at least one paper-efficient attorney on duty, at any closing?

[@arielsea9087]

Then they want to sell Title insurance to protect you from their mistakes. They say it’s in case some long lost relative pops up. Sounds like a scam. 😂

[@themartdog]

Right, if it was the other way around and the couple made the mistake, there would be no statute of limitations

[@cecilb48]

I live in Virginia and had a similar experience. We had a house built by a developer on a lot he owned. 12 years later we learned that he had never transferred the title to the lot to us. So, like this couple, we owned the house but not the property. Our lawyer and the title company were no help, but our bank became engaged when we threatened to default on the mortgage. The developer realized his mistake and transferred the title within 24 hours so our story had a happier ending.

[@Mindyobidnessfr]

Good for you guys. Houses are way to expensive nowadays for bs like that to be happening.

[@Commentator541]

❤

[@dcg590]

How could you let that happen?

[@davewilson7602]

@@dcg590if you go to a house closing and sign some forms you’d assume the lot would be included

[@actionjack84]

Technically these people owned a vacant lot ONLY until they bought the lot their house is on from the tax sale investor. Wild. Go back and check the permits sounds like the building permit office is culpable. Silver lining - find a reputable builder to build a spec house on the vacant lot with an advantageous arrangement for them.

[@DrWashingtonMA]

And we thought my dad was doing too much when he wanted a land survey, photos and aerial maps before our house was built when I was a kid. I guess he knew something we didn’t.

[@DovidM]

What your father did was correct. Sometimes an existing fence or hedge doesn’t follow the property line, and you might be building too close to the actual property line.

[@cartierwhite_lasvegas]

Smart man

[@Kookeycrumbles]

Thank God miss Washington, 😮 this is horrific smdh

[@antwangordon6918]

He definitely knew something that you didn’t. You were just a kid 😂

[@localanalysts6839]

@@antwangordon6918 kids lol even slightly grown up, baffling pompousness lol

[@MrYac-ie8ie]

insane, they can't get a refund because of statute of limitations but they can certainly be held accountable for money not paid in that same timeframe.

[@takenserious4554]

They are being held accountable for the taxes they didn't pay for the improvements from 2017. They owe that. The investor that bought the errant lot is owed their money for the lot. If they ended up just paying the tax dues on their lot and acquiring an additional lot, they basically broken even. It may have been an unintentional lot purchase, but they would be able to sell their lot after they get the paperwork squared away.

[@charlesritter6640]

They need to sue the county.

[@CoffeePrincess1290]

agreed

[@NotfromDetroit]

That is what I was thinking too.

[@charlesritter6640]

@@MeoMiyo a jury would side with the couple.

[@MeoMiyo]

@@charlesritter6640 to bad no jury for statue has run out.

[@shari9721]

@@MeoMiyo the statute of limitations applies to "normal" situations , this isnt normal so the statute of limitations is null and void . It is simply being used as an excuse so they dont have to pay for their mistake .

[@Milesco]

A major question that wasn't answered in this story is _What about notice?_ You can't sell a person's home for delinquent taxes without clearly notifying the homeowner first. If they weren't properly notified, they have a valid claim against the county. And the Statute of Limitations shouldn't start to run until the homeowners became aware of the problem. I hope this couple gets justice!

[@MyFiddlePlayer]

They probably sent the delinquency notices to the owner of record of that lot (#38), who probably had a different address. It was that person who chose not to pay the taxes. One wonders why the owner of #38 never objected to someone building a house on their lot. Maybe the builder originally owned both lots.

[@takenserious4554]

They didn't sell the homeowners lot. They sold the lot they were living in (the one they technically didn't own). That lot wasn't having it's taxes paid. All lots have taxes owed, and lots with homes pay more (for the developments on the lot). So the firm that bought the lien was buying the lot they lived on (that they didn't own). That firm notified these people they were living on their lot. My hope is that the resolution mentioned here was that the owners ended up effectively buying the lot they lived on and owning both lots.

[@patty109109]

The county had no record of a homeowner because it was an empty lot in their system

[@Dobviews]

The family being forced to pay for the county/city's mistake since 2005 is INSANE!

[@nobodyspecial4702]

It's their mistake too. They never bothered to survey the land because that would have generated a land plot showing them where their house SHOULD have been built.

[@socialseahawksfan9325]

You'd think someone in the permitting process to build should be responsible. How could they allow building on the wrong lot when the city zoned the lots to begin with if they paid for the permits to build.

[@smiller2044]

​@@nobodyspecial4702 builders literally have the job of knowing where to build & building a sound structure.

[@nobodyspecial4702]

@@smiller2044 So? Clearly they can and do make mistakes. When I had my house surveyed before buying it, I was provided a map of the property, the boundaries and the associated measuring points indicating exactly where my property lines are in relation to all my neighbors.

[@IvoryS2012]

The right question you should be asking yourself is why didn't the family take action against this issue since they started getting these notices in 2005?! It's their house and land, its their responsibility!

[@MYOB990]

Title Company needs to pay. It was literally THEIR JOB to make sure this didn't happen.

[@dcg590]

No, it’s the consumers job.

[@Katherine-qs8ws]

@@dcg590do you know what title insurance is???

[@brucebeamon5460]

It CERTAINLY is unfortunate that the city can’t/won’t do ANYTHING to make this family whole !

[@stooraowen]

I"d make another small senior home on other lot RENT IT OUT MAKE UP THAT X $65.000 In the long run

[@coffeecup3177]

@@stooraowen I would build a modern home similar to the one they own. Sell both homes and move to a State with a lower Tax Burden like so many of the Illinois Residents are doing.

[@MzJones-wo4oj]

I wouldn’t want to live in Chicago for free I lived there for 42 years been gone for 8

[@magicworld3242]

They're already whole. They now own the lot next door. They can either sell it or build something to recoup their money. They can't get the lot for free, then expect The City to pay them money. His wife is just being greedy at this point.

[@MzJones-wo4oj]

@@magicworld3242 don’t nobody want that lot in Chicago they made a mistake buying the first house they bout ready to give those properties away Chicago is a nightmare

[@JR-bw1vw]

A lot of people ask me why I trust no one. This is the reason.

[@dcg590]

Agree. Always do your due diligence. These people didn’t

[@rez3501]

Its past the statute of limitations yet they had to pay 43000?? This is another example how the working class gets screwed on the daily

[@prima808]

Fr right? I find it SO funny when there's no "statute of limitations" the other way around. If we shorted the government money, not only would we still forever owe the money, also be hit with interest, penalties, liens...amirite?!? If they owe you, they might pay anytime from later to never.😡

[@Vagabond_Etranger]

@@prima808 Same with taxes. If you have capital gain, you're expected to pay immediately, & if not, then interest. But if you have capital loss, you're only allowed 3000 deduction per year.

[@smiller2044]

💯

[@afropuertorican8022]

​@Chill Will shut up.racist

[@brandonliles]

​@Chill Will They paid taxes and noticed there was a problem when the tax bill was greatly reduced. The county even said there was no problem when the family made inquiry. These are by all accounts, responsible people and would have certainly worked feverishly to rectify any issue encountered. I would call you a moron but that would be insulting to actual morons

[@jjw9222]

This is absurd. I hope an excellent attorney steps up and gets them justice. How could so many people collect a pay check and do so much harm. God bless.

[@SophieRocks]

They now own BOTH lots. They would have had to pay property taxes anyways. Taxes for a vacant lot are far, far less than one with a property on it. So they own both properties and have paid the taxes. They should now sell the empty lot.

[@MJCLAXDEN]

I would love to know why the attorneys didn't file suit against the title company. Title insurance should have taken care of this.

[@Satiator123]

Chances are they are buddy buddy with the other parties involved.

[@CastleBomb44]

They got an attorney? Sounds like they did not get title insurance

[@John_Smith_86]

Title was held to the correct lot

[@motivationperseverance3077]

Actually the home would be nicer if it was on the other lot it wouldn't be real close to that bigger building. The city's building inspector should have caught the mistake when it was being built to get the building permit. You have to do a survey before construction how everything went through and it was built on the wrong lot with no one noticing is unbelievable !

[@juliaweber212]

Exactly and selling it

[@duanem.5738]

You don't necessarily have to do a survey prior to construction if these lots were created with a subdivision plat.

[@Richkeyj]

Inspectors are a joke. Inspector held up my closing for cracks in the concrete around the house and other minor things but didn't say anything about the windows and pipes we would have to replace.

[@RR-kz4hq]

..... you sound like a retiree watching from the sidewalk.

[@Gryphind0r]

Caught the mistake? The inspector got paid to ignore it. 😂

[@peryole]

This actually happened to me. I paid a mortgage for years and went to check my taxes on the assessors website. I was told that I did not own my house. Luckily I bought my house from hud so it couldn’t be sold or bought by someone else. The lawyer screwed up my deed and yes, I have mortgage insurance…through that lawyer so he rushed and corrected the deed.

[@swannoir7949]

Something similar happened to me. A year after I bought my house, I got a letter from my mortgage company claiming I owed 13k in back taxes. As it turns out, the taxes had previously been sold -- but never PAID. The title insurance company honored my claim, and paid the back taxes, and vowed to go after "them", whom allowed a sale without the back taxes being paid (you cannot sell a house if there are back taxes). The county had my house on the auction block for 'back taxes', and I didn't even know it. My house sits equally on two lots, but it isn't being pro-rated as it should, and I'm paying taxes on literally two houses. And my house was built, IRONICALLY around the same time as theirs The Cook County assessors office are nothing but crooks, and most of these builders went 'out of business' after they built theses houses, and most were engaging in shady business practices, and if you ask me, in conspiracy with the county. They don't call it 'Crook County' for nothing.

[@parisk8697]

And again same thing have your land assessed before buying this would of given u all info needed ppl get to lazy these days and think they can skip steps to save a few dollars and in the end cost u more so if u are paying on 2 lots that’s all on u your mistake now u pay 🤷🏻‍♀️ next time I’m sure u will do it the right way 😂

[@levelintent]

I pray everyone wronged by these satanic corporations get their money back and emotional distress!

[@tedreynolds6363]

I'm sorry to hear this happened to you and the Miller's.

[@joyceboisvert9167]

thank you for sharing this this is good to know Because when you buy a house the realitor suppose to tell you everything so when you see houses with liens on sale now I know always double the reason behind it. Thank you this was truly helpful

[@Dachozan1]

​@@living2day617💯💯

[@OsbornTramain]

They didn't get "Taken", it's a mistake that happened, no crime occurred and nobody benefited from a crime, there is no malice here.......I wonder how it all got resolved??

[@103Kimberly]

They need a better lawyer. Another lawyer would be able to figure out how and who to sue, because there definitely is a way!

[@dcg590]

Why should they sue? Always looking for a pay out.

[@parler8698]

​@@dcg590 They've paid out a ton. They should be made whole.

[@stephannieq2837]

I was thinking the same thing!

[@Richkeyj]

@@parler8698 I don't know how this works but can't they sell the other lot?

[@ShayWilliam341]

@@dcg590 they should sue these folks been paying their taxes it’s not their fault someone built the house on the wrong lot

[@misterTVman]

Since they own both lots now, they can sell the vacant lot and recoup some of their money that way.

[@mickeyglenn8936]

Sue the local building department, those inspectors , plan review, water and sewage as well.they should have known before any footings were laid!!

[@missf4681]

This is so unjust and so unfair

[@meep2253]

Why do they force you to have title insurance if they won’t even help you when stuff like this happens. Also don’t the city inspectors that come approve the building codes have to verify they are on the correct property?

[@Zero11_ss]

Its another middleman scam, like car salesmen or realtors. All of this could easily be digitized and bought/sold without any intermediary who dont actually provide a service.

[@GinaKayLandis]

In Ohio at least, there are a couple different types of title insurance. One is for the mortgage company's risk, the other (not required to purchase) is owners title insurance. Sounds like owners title insurance wasn't purchased when the home was built :(. I'm a Realtor, not a scammer by the way, and Realtors help people avoid this type of situation.

[@Zero11_ss]

@@GinaKayLandis I don't mean the individual workers, like a single realtor, are all actively working to scam people. The system itself has the structure of a scam. In my opinion there is an effort to fight the overall trend of there simply not being enough decent jobs for all workers - so we have inefficient systems like these from the pre-internet era just being held in place in order for even more jobs to not be vaporized.

[@GinaKayLandis]

@shaila ja Not in Ohio. The mortgage company would have title insurance, but currently, buyers can decline to buy owners title insurance. Not sure how it is handled in the video.

[@stephannieq2837]

Now that is a very good question! Will look into that for our home which was built also in 2005 in Garfield park.

[@t8zortot]

None of this is the Homeowners fault, they should not have to pay a dime

[@migm1520]

Sue tf out of them. They will win. This is obviously not their fault. This is ridiculous.

[@ronaldharris53]

This is messed up , I'm keeping this family in my prayers and hope something can work out in their favor 🙏

[@bigdraco197]

Illinois business as usual! This is deceptive and malicious, when the assessors office said they fixed the error and deliberately withheld the mistake and monetized the situation is sickening and deplorable! I’ve been here 4 decades and this doesn’t surprise me one bit…

[@cheryldodd-marko9787]

SO SO WRONG....ONLY IN AMERICA 🕊🇺🇲💕

[@swannoir7949]

@Teressa Stuckey But America prides itself on integrity.

[@Tom-kn6sr]

​@@swannoir7949 lol....our politicians can't spell integrity. They burst into flames if they get any integrity on them.

[@phanna7492]

What surprises me is the title insurance company weaseling out on their responsibility...something is not right.

[@iMatti00]

Draco, this does not sound like deceptive on the part of the county assessor. Unless it’s some big conspiracy with a kickback that was planned. While anything is possible, the likelihood is extremely small. This is just called normal incompetence. Maybe you have been blessed to work at companies where there’s never incompetent people. I worked at Companies where people work there much longer dealing with Account services and people would make all kinds of ridiculous errors talking to customers.

[@DaveColorado]

The builder may be out of business but the liability insurance policy that he had should still cover this.

[@vlsice663]

I mean, I would think the Sherance company would have to pay out. If you show your house was built in this year where the house was covered under the builder and that the builder made a mistake and built your house on the wrong plot. That is why they are there for no matter how long even if it’s 50 to a 100 years after How long is that building was paying his prima donna time the house was built they should still be liable and then they should insurance company should go after the builder for negligence

[@rumooooni]

​@@vlsice663 exactly, it's the builders,inspectors fault FOR NOT MAKING SURE IT WAS THE RIGHT ONE!

[@DaveColorado]

@Tunisian Crochet Channel Proof of insurance is typically a requirement of their license. The building department that issued the permit will provide that information.

[@Jonathon1031]

What a giant mistake. The builder should be individually responsible for this

[@mysticgoddesshazel]

Oh effff no!!! Someone with brains in that county needs to come forward- this is definitely one of the worse cases of fuckary that I’ve heard yet! Chicago help this family! They definitely don’t deserve this and no one else either for that matter.

[@brandonjohnson3284]

Spirit Possession. Body snatched. Npc. Agent of the matrix. Side character. Bot. Meat puppet. Caged bird.

[@ryanbone3537]

It's run by democrats. You won't find anybody with brains there.

[@Shellshockd85]

@@brandonjohnson3284 you da mayor fix this hahahahaha

[@mayurdotca]

Only 65k to own both lots? They got lucky that the new owner was willing to cooperate.

[@radiatelight4100]

The county failed them and they are taking no responsibility!

[@nobodyspecial4702]

No, the builder failed them and they failed themselves by not making sure they had the plot surveyed before paying.

[@stephannieq2837]

They never do!

[@afr1952]

Crook County

[@John_Smith_86]

Sounds like it is their fault. As the anchor himself said, they could have paid for a proper land survey

[@carminaburana9765]

The assessor should have contacted them and gotten the paperwork sorted out when they realized that lot 38 had a house and lot 39 didn't. The county refusing to tell them why their property value changed while continuing to bill them for the wrong lot just seems malicious.

[@veniagivenchy1532]

They didn't have to do that to them . They could've easily let it go because it's not their fault . That's just mean, nasty, & evil ! They should fight it & sue .

[@kristinesharp6286]

The city no longer owned the debt owed to them. They did pay the vacant lots tax bill. They should sue the owner of the vacant lot.

[@elbertmoreno2159]

I would have personally verified that the build is in the right lot before day 1

[@kathysmith3287]

Absolutely ridiculous ! Right the wrongs !

[@glass1258]

They’re extremely lucky they were able to purchase that lot . 65k is a small price to pay to keep your home . Sell the second lot and recoup your money

[@digi3218]

Yeah good point. The private company that bought their house did them a favor. They could have been real evil. That lot next to them has to be worth a decent amount.

[@eliwilson3902]

​@@digi3218 unimproved land in Cook County is worth a lot. It doesn't look too big so 60k may be the real value, but in my experience you can't get anything in Chicago for under 100.

[@s10er8]

That's what I'm thinking, they got a heck of a deal. Sell the lot that they never knew that they owned.

[@victoriamahon3765]

Probably because whatever investment firm bought it doesn’t want all the bad press that would undeniably come out of this when it hit the news they sold it for just enough to get money back but not enough to make a big profit because they didn’t wanna have to deal with the PR smart move on their part.

[@penitent2401]

​​​@@eliwilson3902near the end they briefly displayed the block size, 3,145 SqFt, how much would that be worth?

[@SophieRocks]

Now they own BOTH LOTS and their home. Seems they are much better off.

[@1001Hobbies]

*HERE'S THE SOLUTION:* Of course the City wants to sue the non-existent builder, because *THE CITY INSPECTOR* who approved everything when the house was built IS AT FAULT!! It is the City Inspector's responsibility to make sure everything is in compliance with city code, and building the house on the correct lot is part of that. THIS IS ALL ON THE CITY. I would sue them on this premise. This is a nightmare situation for this couple. I can't imagine what they are going through.

[@TheQueenRulesAll]

They need to go after the appraiser, the title insurance company and the county assessor. All of these entities are supposed to check to make sure the lot is correct. They need to get their money back and the people involved be fired. There should be no statute of limitations in a situation where the experts and government agencies erred with no way for the homeowner to know. Why do we pay for government required inspections and title insurance if they cannot be held accountable for their mistakes?

[@alphasthrive1906]

This happened to a couple in my parent's neighborhood years ago & the county switched the lot #'s. The couple was also able to sue the builders because they noticed the error right away, when they moved in. They were from out of state & had a friend that was local monitoring the build but the friend wasn't aware the house was being built on the wrong lot.

[@erikh9991]

My client's dad bought a piece of property and built a home on it to sell. The guy who owned the lot next door lived in the area and drove by the property knowing the house was built on the wrong property. The dad sued the guy saying he illegally profiting from someone's loss. The dad won. The court switched the property to benefit the dad.

[@bioswalesbioswales3004]

Glad to see the statute of limitations applies when the money isn’t flowing in the government’s direction. 🙄

[@rayy4pres194]

Right! Total BS!

[@Wulfenburg]

What an awful situation. I'd rather our tax money helping people lie this, than the usual way it's wasted. These people don't deserve to be left in the dark, this is insane.

[@rochester3]

65k for another land, that's a bargain

[@ngi638]

This is not their fault. Someone better fix this!

[@LP-bt4jk]

Yes. Start da fixin..

[@terratorment2940]

The county could do the right thing and just apply the tax payments to the correct lot. That seems like it would be the most fair way to do it.

[@farajaraf]

I’m not leaving my house or paying. That’s a hill I’d die on

[@imwatchingyoutonight]

This is F'ed up in so many ways.

[@Amen.22]

I’m not a real estate agent, but I checked some lot prices in the same neighborhood and that empty lot might be worth $65,000 They should think about building a house on it that they could rent out. Or find out how much they could sell it for. Talk to a lawyer to figure out how to get at least some of the money back.

[@calamity0.o]

Or they could turn it into a vegetable garden and plant some fruit trees like plums, something self fertilizing to fruit.

[@smithiness]

Yea, the fact they ended up with both lots makes the reporting seem a little off. The city should have corrected all of the clerical errors, but since they did not, the owners are at least left with something of value and aren’t really out as much as reported. It would be nice if the city offered to buy the empty lot for a little more than the couple paid.

[@blackericdenice]

No wonder the builder is out of business.

[@Glorydancer333]

Absolutely horrifying for this couple. They should not be blamed in any way for this perfect storm! Clearly because they payed their taxes consistently, they had the right motives Surely someone can fix this for these dear people!

[@jaidaiverson4421]

No No No. Correct this for this family immediately and Give some money for legal cost and emotional distress. As far as the company goes. They probably went bankrupt but the crook who owned it is likely to be operating under another name now still giving horrible work and should lose credentials and have his name uploaded

[@Danimal-D-Animal]

The same thing almost happened to me when county/township officials placed my 911 address marker on the wrong lot. Good thing I hadn't built or brought Utilities in before I discovered it using a hunting app. It's remarkably accurate in identifying property boundaries.

[@JuliaWang-ls4bb]

Whats the hunting app name

[@OakSantosh]

This happened with us in Pune India. Luckily,we could resolve the issue and ultimately sell the house. It did cost us a pretty penny, but we got out safely. Big relief.

[@Victor-tl4dk]

Imagine if they couldn't pay it... Statute of limitations or not the county should have made sure they didn't "have to" pay the person who bought the property. They paid their taxes after all. The buyer paid the unpaid taxes to the government and the government should have returned that money to the buyer and marked the money from the other lot for the couple and gave them time to pay the small extra w/o any "penalty."

[@markzelinski4434]

And that’s a beautiful house! I’d be livid pissed! Sue the county and have them pay for everything

[@mayurdotca]

THEY OWN BOTH LOTS?? I would take that deal any day of the week!

[@MatteBlack2024]

So scandalous. The developer should make them while.

[@kylieharrison3782]

The developer no longer exists

[@farmerbill6855]

There is no developer, these lots had houses on them that were torn down. And the builder is defunct. Title insurance should cover this, this kind of BSA is what it's for.

[@ChakatNightspark]

FYI you could still file suit agiasnt the Builder. You Don't go after the Building Company. You Go after the PERSON not the Company itself. Since it does not exist anymore.

[@MyaIsWithIt]

That's insane

[@chriss-nf1bd]

The City has some liability. Even the many inspection the building inspector made didn't catch the problem? Sue the City!

[@sa3270]

I thought it was crazy when I heard about a home in Florida built too close to the property line had to be torn down. When you buy a property, check the property description on your documents against the subdivision plat and actually go there in person and count lots. Make sure everything agrees. Make sure ground is broken on the correct lot before construction begins.

[@maganbrown3302]

That wasn’t an accident they do that kind of stuff all over the country and take peoples land

[@justlue380]

During that time when the house was built, They were building houses like crazy!!! Other homeowners better check their paper work!

[@ilovecookiesization]

I wonder why that builder is out of business.

[@navarruh]

Take a guess. I will wait. 😂

[@cedricjackson7521]

It was no way no how they would have known this get a lawyer and sue the city

[@B_22_5]

They could have gotten a land survey and avoided this whole mess when they moved it

[@BlakeCresswell]

Someone needs to start a gofund me for this poor couple.

[@hmbld1]

Interesting, I am a home builder and my worst nightmare is building a house on the wrong lot or over an easement or property line. I would say the title company is at fault, they are to verify a/the home is on the correct lot.

[@mandy648]

This is heart wrenching and the former builder should face prison time!

[@davidzajac4907]

Wrong is wrong regardless of any statute of limitations. The woman stated it perfectly. They should be made whole. What is the title company for if not to catch this kind of thing? I wish them well and full recovery of all the funds they lost do to others errors.

[@kristinesharp6286]

They know they underpaid taxes for the last 5 years. Something isn’t right about the math. I think it’s in the reporter’s explaining.

[@Sailor376also]

They DID have a mortgage land survey. Is not that the part of every mortgage?

[@edwardrhoads7283]

I had one where I bought a house that was on 2 lots but the title company only put one in my name. The other went unpaid for taxes. Luckily in my case the city caught it and only fined me about 1k for late back taxes on a lot I did not even know existed. They also combined the lots at the same time so that it could not happen again.

[@travelnomad2128]

At least your county is honorable & fixed the problem.

[@bryann3389]

That’s BS. The city needs to cut them a check for the 65 k or whatever it was. These poor people aren’t getting treated right, they did everything right. I pray they get reimbursed for every penny plus some for their time and stress and anxiety they’ve been put through.

[@jamesnewberry1191]

This is horrible.

[@oldtimefarmboy617]

In Texas, you have to have what is called a warranty deed. It consist of the history of the land from when the state first surveyed and and the legal location of every section, to the original purchaser, through every purchaser of any part of the land to the current owner of the section or lot of land you want to buy. It includes all of the different title transfer documents and titles for the entire legal history of the land you want to buy. A warranty deed can be several inches thick. When you purchase the land the warranty deed has to be updated with the title transfer documents and the newest title and turned over to the new owner. If you want to buy land from someone and they do not have the warranty deed, that proves they are not the actual owner of the property.

[@Loveladylove]

You must work in Title, I do as well, and I’m trying to figure out how in the world this could happen, are used to record warranty, deed, and deeds of trust, and we had several eyes verify, and re-verify the information before recording it, and the county is supposed to do their due diligence before actually excepting the recording.

[@oldtimefarmboy617]

@@Loveladylove One big tell that these people ignored for years is that the tax bill had the address for the lot next door and they did not pay attention to that detail. It is a very expensive lesson for people to learn to pay attention to the details and not just pay whatever bill gets delivered.

[@philliplewis3754]

A house moving company could move this from Lot 38 to Lot 39 no sweat! What is the statue of limitations on stupidity?

[@alimadaniels]

That’s what I was thinking. Couldn’t they just have the house moved? I wonder if that cost more than what they paid overall? I would have just moved my house to the correct lot.

[@ShannonsBibleStudy]

Houses in the MW usually have a basement.

[@philliplewis3754]

@@alimadaniels it's kinda weird but in Canada they move houses all the time. Some are prebuilt floated on barges and transported that way then move on land to their final destination. Average cost to move a 2000² house is $32,000, it starts at $10G's thru $200G's for the mover's and permits. The foundation and construction is extra. Crazy!

[@kristinesharp6286]

The house will never be sound again.

[@robgindc1]

They need to sue the state!

[@jphearson]

What's so hard about reversing the order of the lots to match the paperwork? That would seem fair to me before anyone had to pay anything. That's too much like right, though.

[@elram2649]

Terribly messed up! 😢

[@navmarroaming2292]

Isn't that what Title Insurance is for?

[@robertosola7576]

The City is suppose to inspect the house before during and after the house was being built.

[@allbusiness7313]

This is why I want to be financially wealthy, to help out families like this.

[@BillionairesArentYourFriends]

At this rate it's simply to avoid being them and nothing more.

[@Theinvisible1]

So instead of a refund why not just swap the payments to show payments for the correct lot and update the information

[@d.h.dd.h.d.5230]

Hey, they shd not have to pay a dime because they had a property title insurance company. It's the title insurance company who insures the titled property. It's their sole job to ensure the property is on the right lot & review the survey for accuracy. It's the title company they need to focus on, legally. Money doesn't expire. Get a tax lawyer. It's fraud.

[@WhatIs205]

The judge should just have the lots swapped, the firm knew exactly what they were doing and a family is suffering due to it. What happened to justice, truth, and fairness.

[@porsche2577]

This is so unfortunate. It’s the buyer’s responsibility to have a survey done prior to purchasing a home. Buyers have the burden of proof. The only thing that I don’t understand is the title company denying their claim. Title insurance should’ve made them whole. I’m just glad they were able to stay in their home.

[@phanna7492]

There's definitely something fishy with the whole title insurance denial...not an attorney; not sure; but it doesn't sound right at all.

[@porsche2577]

@@phanna7492 Exactly! I’m no attorney either but in some way this is a title issue 🤷‍♀️

[@1luckyarmywife461]

That should be illegal!!

[@rohiniramanchakrabarti5282]

Father God, only you can fix this for this family. Please help them get back their money and allow them to keep their home with no further threat. They’ve been there since 2005! My God. Had it not been for covid this probably wouldn’t have surfaced. With the economy the way it is currently, everyone is trying to find a dollar. And going back decades to find it. Good Luck to this family. God Bless everyone.

[@godiswatching2342]

I stand with you in your prayer for this family. Amen.

[@OctavioGaitan]

They need to lawyer up and sue. That's just unacceptable!

[@jameshollingsworth4714]

This is what Title Insurance is for.

[@swannoir7949]

Title insurance is what saved me from having to pay back taxes of $13k, when it was discovered that the taxes had been 'sold' -- but not paid. You brought up a good point, and I'm surprised no one discussed that in this piece. Doesn't sound like she had any.

[@Chocolips05]

Their title insurance denied it but refused to give the news reporter any comment. It’s also past IL state timeframes to sue

[@jameshollingsworth4714]

Pretty sure when i was listening to the story, Title Insurance was mentioned, but most don't know how the Title policy works, or what it does. Most institutional lenders require a foundation endorsement, I believe a 101.4 which ensures that the house is built on the correct lot. In any case bringing the policy to the Title company that issued that policy should be all that's needed. If they won't take care of it, then it's time to involve an attorney. Of course the home owner/borrower has a duty to react to strange changes in taxes or address before it gets out of hand, rather than simply hoping it will go away. I have owned a Mortgage Company for 40 years, and have seen it all.

[@bluered1322]

The fact they corrected the problem and didnt tell the family reminds me off office space

[@starlight7830]

Who is this private firm?

[@s10er8]

The private firm was most likely just getting their money back. At that price, they were not making a profit. They actually did a good deed.

[@tykobes4132]

God bless these two raising a kid the right way

[@CS-qc7np]

For me, that would be a win. I pay low property taxes on an empty lot for a few years. I just bought the lot that my home is sitting on and now I just bought the lot adjacent to my home which I can fence in, or I can put a rental property on. I hope they turn this horrible disaster into an income producing endeavor. Make lemonade out of lemons.

[@flyscdiva]

Exactly what I was thinking. Build on the other lot they have been forced into owning. Build and rent out or flip a house on it. Or just keep the property for their children. Owning land /real estate is not the worst thing. They can stay crying victims. Of take this as a good accident move on and make the most out of it.

[@eduardoreyes4958]

At least they own both lots, they could sell the empty lot to help to pay they debt but I hope they get a compensation from someone.

[@IvoryS2012]

They never got a land survey?! If that's true they are stupid! My lender pulled the original surveys from the early 1900s, and they did a survey of my lot and the block! I dont understand how this could have happened?! Before I bought my house I checked the surveys myself because I was afraid to messed this up. Dang. That's why it's so important to take at least one first time home buyers classes.

[@cathleensalisbury859]

So what if builders out of business. They should be held resonsible!!

[@mr.grotto]

They own both lots? They will need to sell that lot and still likely be out 20k. They're partially responsible, but nothing near this much.

[@eattherich9215]

As the Millers now own the vacant lot, they should sell it.

[@SMJ113]

Yup..she is right checks and balances.

[@user-gv5pp6iw5i]

The banks are to blame They provide the funding (approved project = *surveyed the land* ) Due to everyone being LLC (they would pass the blame = they hired/contracted ??? Company with the surveyor responsibility = *even if false* being the building contractor but since they are "out of business" *nobody carries the neglected duties* ) Contractor (should be fully responsible but only is required to fulfill the task, nothing else = build the project) *could have read details wrong* City and inspectors (are ultimately responsible = should have stopped once the footings were placed) *every step of construction is required to be inspected*

[@TT-mk8tw]

New buyer’s always need to get a survey done as well as a private inspection on the property… chicago is terrible… there’s so many things wrong, so many plp rent basement that are illegal and landlords take all that money tax free… the city should start investigating those landlords and make them pay fines…

[@Juanmorales_1821]

One-hundred-percent the city is is at fault