Georgia Grandmother Battles Eviction After Alleged Property Scam
A 62-year-old grandmother from Locust Grove, Georgia, is fighting desperately to remain in her home after claiming she was deceived into signing away ownership for absolutely nothing while attempting to secure a financial loan. Jamie Norris transferred ownership of her metro Atlanta-area property to a company called T and T Properties Limited Inc. without receiving any payment, according to official Henry County deed book records obtained by investigative journalists.
The Deceptive Paperwork That Cost a Home
Norris had fallen behind on her property taxes, accumulating a debt of $6,850, when T and T Properties approached her with an offer to provide a loan to settle this outstanding amount. What she believed was standard loan documentation turned out to be a quitclaim deed—a legal instrument frequently associated with predatory foreclosure rescue schemes that target vulnerable homeowners.
"Why would I sell them the house for nothing, just to give it to him?" Norris told reporters. "It doesn't make sense." She explained that a company representative assured her the paperwork was merely collateral for the loan, not a transfer of ownership. "He said, 'You're not signing your house over. It's just for collateral,'" Norris recalled.
Legal Experts Warn of Widespread Problem
Sarah Mancini, an attorney with the National Consumer Law Center, emphasized that legitimate lenders do not require borrowers to sign over property deeds when providing loans. "There's really no good reason to have someone sign over a deed to their house if you're lending them money," Mancini stated. "The person who's claiming to help you is saying they're lending you money to help get you out of foreclosure, but they're in reality trying to steal the ownership of the house."
A quitclaim deed essentially transfers whatever interest a person holds in a property to another party without any guarantees or protections. While commonly used for non-sale transactions like divorces or family transfers, it has become a tool for scammers operating in the foreclosure rescue industry.
Mounting Debt and Legal Battles
Norris discovered the company was charging her $700 monthly for interest-only payments on the supposed loan—rates she described as "higher than a pawn shop." When she inquired about paying off the loan completely, she learned the required amount far exceeded what she had originally received, and discovered T and T Properties held title to her home.
After Norris stopped making payments, the company filed to evict her, claiming in court documents that she was a tenant delinquent on rent. The court initially sided with Norris, ruling that no landlord-tenant relationship existed. However, T and T Properties has now filed a second dispossessory action, alleging her debt has ballooned to over $12,000 with added interest, late charges, and attorney fees.
Ed Joyner, attorney for T and T Properties, defended the company's actions, arguing that a quitclaim deed simply protects a lender's investment without going through foreclosure proceedings. He claimed the title would be returned to Norris upon full loan repayment.
A Pattern of Predatory Practices
This case reflects a disturbing pattern in Georgia. Last September, another homeowner—Kimberly Gravitt of Gwinnett County—was hospitalized in a mental health facility after learning she faced eviction from her home of 40 years by Georgia Venture Investment Company, LLC. The company allegedly acquired her deed without payment after another firm she had enlisted to prevent foreclosure signed it over.
Georgia's Attorney General has previously sued companies involved in similar schemes for allegedly stealing homeowners' titles. Mancini warned consumers: "Someone can rob you with a pen and paper just as surely as they can rob you with a loaded gun. Be careful about signing any piece of paper connected to real estate."
These cases highlight how vulnerable homeowners facing financial difficulties can become targets for sophisticated scams that strip them of equity and property through deceptive paperwork and false promises of assistance.
