How to Steal a $4.4M House in San Francisco (Legally?)

The John Phillips Show

A San Francisco home valued at $4.4 million has been taken over by alleged squatters who claim ownership through forged deeds, sparking outr

Key takeaways

• California's tenant-friendly laws make it difficult to evict squatters, even when deeds are forged.

Main topics

• Squatting in high-end neighborhoods
• Forged deeds and notary fraud

Notable quotes

"The state of California is so tenant-friendly that it has opened up to all these kinds of scams where someone can actually try to forge the deed to your property."

Conclusion

The case underscores how legal loopholes and weak enforcement mechanisms allow

Transcript preview

Speaker 5 (0:00) Giving you the day's headlines with the Speaker 3 (0:02) right context. It's the John Phillips Show. And we continue at 2.05 in the afternoon on the John Phillips Show. Mr. Randy Wang's across the glass. Speaker 2 (0:16) Johnny, we're broadcasting live on the radio on 790 KABC in Southern California and 810 KSFO in the Bay Area. But we're also broadcasting live on video every single day from noon to 3 at johnnydontlike.com. That's Johnny with a Y. That's johnnydontlike.com where you too can become a Filipino by playing around in the chat room, hitting subscribe. We're at over 6,500 subscribers. Hitting the like button, we're at over 300 likes for today's show. and playing around in the chat room. All of those things tell YouTube to push us out to new people. New people are discovering the show every single day. So become a Filipino today at johnnydontlike.com. Speaker 3 (0:58) And programming note, I'm going to be on Good Day LA tomorrow morning at 8.40 in the a.m. That's going to be on Fox 11 KTTV in Southern California. So definitely check it out. And if it goes well, we'll definitely play the sound on the radio program later on that day. And Speaker 2 (1:19) if there's a high speed chase, you will be bumped. Speaker 3 (1:21) That's right. That's right. Maybe they'll have me in for the cooking segment later on, though. Speaker 2 (1:28) I can Speaker 3 (1:29) make my world-famous guacamole. 800-222-5222 is the telephone number 1-800-222-5222. Well, we know that squatting was a real problem in that neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley that resulted in a home burning down and damaging neighboring property. The neighbors were furious. Karen Bass had to call into the KTLA Morning News. Nithya Raman showed up in the neighborhood and got cursed out by the homeowners, and it became this big dumpster fire. But Randy, it's not just in Los Angeles where squatting is a problem in California. Speaker 2 (2:14) ABC 7 in the Bay has been working for quite a while. You can tell it's a sweeps week story on an insane squatter story that's been going on for years and years and years in a $4.4 million San Francisco property. Speaker 2 (2:34) For more on this, let's get right to it. Here is ABC 7 in the Bay. It's Speaker 8 (2:40) a fear that can happen to any homeowner. Squatters taking over your property. Speaker 1 (2:45) We see it happen across the country. But in this case, it comes with an unusual twist. Speaker 4 (2:51) San Speaker 1 (2:52) Francisco Police, number 75. Speaker 1 (2:56) It's one of the priciest zip codes in San Francisco. And Speaker 7 (3:00) the police have responded, I don't know, probably Speaker 3 (3:02) 20 times to it. And it's scary. Only Speaker 2 (3:04) 20? That's nothing. Speaker 3 (3:05) Well, this is something to think about. It's not just something that happens in bad neighborhoods. Anytime a squatter can get into a house, whether it be in a suburban neighborhood, a ritzy neighborhood, whatever, it doesn't matter. The laws are written as such where it can be impossible to get them out. Speaker 5 (3:28) I go to bed nervous and I wake up nervous. But over the Speaker 1 (3:32) past year. Speaker 7 (3:33) There's a squatter at 32nd Avenue. Speaker 1 (3:36) Neighbors say. I think Speaker 2 (3:37) they were bleeping the address. He didn't curse. Well, I'd curse if I lived next door to this. Speaker 1 (3:42) This house along 32nd Avenue in Seacliff is attracting unwanted attention, unfamiliar faces. What's Speaker 2 (3:50) with the guy just rolling a tire? Who was that, Cooter? Speaker 1 (3:55) All hours of the night. Speaker 5 (3:59) It really has been a 24-hour surveillance that's going on. People had a breaking point. Speaker 7 (4:04) Basically, he allegedly forged a deed transfer and is trying to steal the house. Speaker 1 (4:09) The state Speaker 2 (4:10) of California is so tenant-friendly that it has opened up to all these kinds of scams where someone can actually try to forge the deed to your property and then they've got rights to be there and apparently sell it. Speaker 3 (4:25) Well, one of my closest friends in college is now a judge. And when COVID happened and I moved to the desert, she told me to get rid of my condo in L.A. because if I left it unattended and a squatter came in and claimed to have a deed, I would have to go to a judge to get that person out and it would take well over a year. Speaker 2 (4:50) Do you remember some of those stories we used to do during that crazy year of 2020, including people who, because of the eviction moratorium, had refused to pay rent, and then they were subletting the place that they were renting to somebody else? Yep. Speaker 1 (5:06) 4 a.m. Property stolen in plain sight. Groups of people coming in and out. Speaker 2 (5:11) There's the tire wheeler again. Hey, cooter. I've Speaker 8 (5:15) heard from the neighbors they're just bringing a lot of suitcases in and out of this home. Could you answer any of our questions? Speaker 1 (5:22) And no one knows what's happening inside. Who really... You can Speaker 2 (5:26) tell it sweeps, right? Ominous music. Speaker 3 (5:29) And by the way, nothing good is going on inside that house either. Speaker 2 (5:34) How much you know what is smeared on the walls. Speaker 2 (5:38) And to be serious, it's stories like this, even in a fancy neighborhood where a fire gets started in there and it burns down the entire neighborhood. Speaker 1 (5:50) Property. We tried getting those answers. Speaker 8 (5:53) I just had a couple of questions for you. Do you own this house? Yes. You do own this house? Yes. So I see your name on the title. I also see another individual. Did she Speaker 3 (6:02) also steal those dogs? Why are they blurring the face out? We should all know who these people are. So Speaker 2 (6:09) typically the rule is for local broadcast journalism is if you haven't been arrested, they won't show your face because you technically haven't been charged with a crime. Speaker 8 (6:24) Because Speaker 2 (6:24) again, what these people are doing, California made legal. Speaker 8 (6:30) Can you help me understand your relationship with him? Can you just step out for a second? Can you help me understand your relationship with the individual on the title? It seems to be a long history there. Boy, Speaker 2 (6:42) that person really didn't want to talk to Channel 7. Speaker 3 (6:44) Nope, and at this point, they know they're going to become famous. Speaker 1 (6:48) The deed changed hands between two people at least seven times in the past year, four since July. Both claim the other is not the real owner. Speaker 7 (6:58) His name is ****. Speaker 1 (7:07) Another COVID Speaker 2 (7:10) story. Speaker 3 (7:13) Okay, it shouldn't be that difficult to find out who owns a property. They certainly figure out a way to send a tax bill to whoever it is that they think owns the property. Speaker 2 (7:23) And it is once again to just bring up something that I think about every single day as there's so many of these stories in the news. With as many stories that we cover about abandoned property and squatters, are we really in a housing crisis? Speaker 1 (7:40) Past year, a group of roughly a dozen people are frequenting the property. Some appeared to move in. Speaker 7 (7:46) Then the deed was recorded in an individual's name, and that started this whole process. Speaker 1 (7:53) The San Francisco Police Department says the district attorney's office is currently investigating the case. Questions have been raised about the legitimacy of the first deed transfer to the alleged squatter. The notary told 7 on your side his signature was forged and he's reported it to the authorities. You Speaker 2 (8:11) forged the signature of a notary and you don't get in trouble? Did they also forge the stamp? Speaker 1 (8:19) In quote, I do not use all caps. The imposter has clearer, crisper handwriting than I do. Speaker 2 (8:25) That's exactly what I would say if someone ever forged my signature. Hey, my handwriting is not nearly that good. Speaker 1 (8:34) They did a very poor job of trying to imitate it. Copies of the two deeds show the difference between the two signatures. Also, Speaker 2 (8:42) you have to really zoom in. But the just to have a little connection. To our Southern California listeners, Johnny, can you see which county the deed owner, the squatter, is actually registering in? Speaker 3 (8:57) I can't read that. Speaker 2 (8:59) Los Angeles. Of course. Speaker 1 (9:02) Seven on your side reached out to other notaries listed on the recent title history between the two alleged squatters. Four of them told us that their signature or stamp was either forged or that the document was altered since they signed. Speaker 2 (9:15) So isn't that like 17,000 layers of fraud right there? You can't fake a notary stamp. Speaker 3 (9:22) No, you'd Speaker 2 (9:23) think at this point they have Speaker 3 (9:24) enough to move in and kick these people out. Speaker 2 (9:27) Not with California squatter laws. I mean, do you remember? I want to say this was early on in 2020. where someone was renting a home in Redlands on Airbnb, and they rented it for two months. And after 31 days, they stopped paying rent, claimed they were a squatter, and it took a year for the owner to get them out. A year. A mystery. Speaker 1 (9:56) Real estate attorney George Wolfe says the back and forth title history over a short period of time. Speaker 2 (10:02) Attorney named Wolfe, little on the nose. Then again, I represent an attorney named Shark. Speaker 4 (10:08) Is suspicious. Speaker 1 (10:09) It Speaker 8 (10:09) could be they're just trying to confuse people. What should people do in situations like this? Speaker 4 (10:14) I have heard stories about people forging deeds and getting titles to your property and taking loans out against the property. Most