As thieves steal dead people’s homes, here’s a new idea for fighting fraud

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. >> A new alliance is stepping up in the fight to stop thieves from stealing the homes of people who’ve recently died.

The Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office has teamed up with the county’s Office of Medical Examiner and Trauma Services to start sharing notes about property owners who’ve died, and amass a tower of information to crack down on property theft. When thieves strike, investigators say, it’s the true heirs who are stiffed out of their rightful inheritance.

And it’s the dead and their properties that are “the easiest prey” — with thieves figuring it’d be less likely they’ll be caught, Broward Property Appraiser Marty Kiar said. “I think it’s disgusting what these people do to the most vulnerable people in our communities,” Kiar said. “I’m so passionate about holding them accountable, making sure they can’t defraud the great people of Broward County anymore.”

To protect the estates of the dead, the two offices are planning to use new software that allows the agencies to share — and immediately flag — potential issues. Those who’ve died, who owned property and whose remains are unclaimed, will have their estates flagged for potential theft.

While the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office has long investigated homestead fraud, Kiar assembled a new team of detectives in 2022 to snuff out deed fraud.

Scammers have taken over houses using fraudulent quit claim deeds or fraudulent liens or fake wills, and have forced rightful owners out the door of their own homes by posing as the owners in court.

Detectives have had cases before of dead people whose properties were sought out. In one case last year, investigators say two women identified the homes of dead people and then gained control of the homes through probate court.

Prosecutors stated in court files that one of them was working at Memorial Healthcare System in Hollywood as a secretary from 2012 through 2016, where she had access to patients’ personal information including Social Security numbers and dates of death.

The indictment alleges they used the information “to obtain leads and contact information” in 22 instances to get title for their companies. The women pleaded guilty.

People have relied on Florida’s public records law to seek information about the recently deceased who may not have heirs, Kiar said.

Residents with no known interest or connection to someone who died have asked questions: They may request the paid invoice for cremation on somebody’s unclaimed remains, which was possibly found from cross-checking unpaid property taxes. Such queries drew the Medical Examiner’s Office’s attention.

“They found it very odd, even lawyers were calling and wanting public records,” Kiar said. “It was very strange, people not related in any way to these folks were inquiring.”

The Medical Examiner’s Office has an investigations team tasked with tracking down the families of people whose remains are unclaimed. If the office is unsuccessful and bodies stay unclaimed, those remains are cremated and scattered at sea, or the Medical Examiner’s Office will determine if the deceased gets military benefits and can be buried at a veteran’s cemetery.

But until a health care surrogate or heir steps forward, “there’s potential for fraud” of their land or property, said Thomas Steinkamp, the agency’s chief medical-legal investigator.

Now, the names of people who’ve died, and whose remains are unclaimed, will be put on a new watch list, and Kiar’s detectives will have to figure out if they owned property or land to keep a watchful eye.