Illegal renting?

[cblack0822]

I have been renting a house since 8/2007. I found out yesterday that the owners identity was stolen and she had no knowledge of being the owner of the house until she had her credit pulled for something else. I have been paying rent to two gentleman that say they were investors. The Feds are now involved because they illegally put her name on he house and now want me to deal strictly with the owner and give the other gentleman no more money because the house is now in foreclosure. Am I owed any money from the gentleman that illegally rented me the property? I am in North Carolina.

[kansasjenni]

Wow, this is really strange. Check your counties tax appraisal district web site to see who the owner really is, search tax records by your address and see who's name is listed as the owner of the property. If that does not work, call the tax office and check with them. I think you could sue the con artist that illegally rented you the property to regain any legal fees you paid because of him, ask for your rent money back because he his illegal action then ask for the expenses of moving, including the cost of your labor to move your stuff and any missed workdays. You might not get it but you can always ask. Hopefully the real owner is cooperating you and not threatening to throw you out. There are tenant landlord or renter landlord laws for ever state, google it and look through them. I believe they are listed by state on www.HUD.gov

[Expert Realtor]

I am in North Carolina.

I can tell you what happened.

Larger cities like New York, etc...landlords have to make an application to the city for the apartment to be a "legal" rental...we have no such thing anywhere in NC. If you can live in it, you can rent it.

The true owner of the house is lying to you....she knew full well her name was taken off the property. #2...land records do not appear on a credit report....so that is NOT how she found out.

This is a common scam that "investors" are doing...they find someone who is having trouble making their mortgage payments, "investors" come in to "save"them by paying them a large some of money to change the title on the home...the "investors" rent it out...but they end up never paying the mortgage.

Part of the scam is that they hope to collect more rent than they paid the true owner up front.

However, the NC law states whoevers is on title is the owner...no matter how they got there.

So yes, you DID pay the rightful owners...whether or not the property transfer was legal, is not an issue with you.

You can't live somewhere for free.

Since the house is under foreclosure, you need to simply move and not write anymore checks to anyone else.

[ticketoride04]

Not to weird with all the identity theft today, you may not get your loot back, but you can sure file chgs against the perpetrators for the theft and bunco chgs placed on them.

I would not even pay the new people until it all gets straightened out in court by a judge.

Being in foreclosure, that will be some time and who is the owner and who really gets the money since the vested owner really didn't buy it and is the bank going to own it, coupled with the fact that you may not even be there by then.

wing it and see what happens and apply to the 'victims assistance' program with your county offices, they may have a rebate program available.