On May 10, the pair completed a fraudulent quitclaim deed to transfer a Belcourt Drive ranch style home to Anderson, according to an affidavit.
A quitclaim deed for the house was filed on Oct. 8 in the Montgomery County Recorder’s Office. Croley was listed as the previous owner’s power of attorney.
Property records show the house was sold to Anderson for $119,000.
On Oct. 14, the previous owner’s daughter contacted the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office claiming her father’s friend was squatting at the Belcourt Drive property and apparently trying to sell her father’s deed, according to an incident report.
The previous owner was recently admitted to a nursing home and his family learned a quitclaim deed had been filed.
On Oct. 18, the man’s daughter filed an affidavit in the Montgomery County Recorder’s Office claiming the deed was fraudulent.
The affidavit stated the man has dementia and is not able to grant power of attorney or agree to the sale of the property.
During the investigation, the sheriff’s learned Anderson made multiple attempts to sell the house.
Warrants were issued for Croley and Anderson on Tuesday, according to municipal court records. Anderson was arrested Tuesday afternoon and booked in the Montgomery County Jail.
His bond was set at $50,000.
Croley remains at large as of Wednesday afternoon. Anyone with information on her whereabouts should call Montgomery County Regional Dispatch at 937-225-HELP (4357).
A quitclaim deed can transfer a property from one entity to another without a sale taking place. They are typically used by relatives or spouses to transfer property.
However, some people will use a false signature from the owner on a quitclaim deed and get the document notarized. They’ll then file the fraudulent document to transfer ownership and sometimes try to sell the property.
Last December, Montgomery County Recorder Stacey Benson-Taylor reported her office has seen an uptick in complaints related to quitclaim deeds.
She said her office has a watchlist of people appearing as notaries on documents who are not registered with the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office or have other suspicious behavior.
The Montgomery County Recorder’s Office operates the Fraud Alert Notification System to help property owners stay informed about documents related to their properties.
Those enrolled in the program can receive an email, letter or both whenever a deed, mortgage or lien is filed on parcels signed up for the system. People can enroll online or at the recorder’s office.
Staff writer Sydney Dawes contributed to this report.
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