HOUSTON — Harris County is going after a Houston title company accused of defrauding dozens of homebuyers in real estate transactions.
County Attorney Christian Menefee said Patriot Title has been scamming homebuyers for years.
The company has already been sued more than 20 times in the last decade, according to Menefee.
"Patriot Title has strung them along," he said at a news conference Wednesday with several people who said they were victims. "Enough is enough.”
Charles Kelly said the company bought his family's home and never paid them and their case has dragged on since 2018.
"Patriot bought it from us and we didn't hear from them again," Kelly said. "The only thing we heard was that our house had been destroyed in our Acres Home neighborhood."
Menefee said the company preys on elderly people or buyers who can't afford to hire an attorney.
“Buying a home is one of the most important decisions a family makes. We can not allow companies to take advantage of people during that process, leaving them deprived of both the home they hoped to buy and thousands of dollars,” Menefee said.
The allegations include:
- Receiving escrow funds from a buyer during a real estate transaction and refusing to release those funds to the seller
- Serving as the title company in a real estate transaction involving a forged deed
- Knowingly selling property the company does not own to an unsuspecting buyer
- Failing to disclose that the company has an interest in the real estate transaction
The county wants to hear from anyone who thinks they've been victims.
Harris County residents who have been a victim of a false, misleading, or deceptive business practice by Patriot Title or Rachel Luna's escrow and title service business in connection with a real estate transaction can visit cao.harriscountytx.org or email ConsumerHelp@harriscountytx.gov.
"I hope the rest of the people that had been punished by the company come forward and help us out so we can get something resolved," Kelly said.
We checked with the Better Business Bureau and they said Patriot Title is unaccredited and has an F rating.