Podcast Episode 90 – Christina Martin on Home Equity Theft

Christina Martin, Senior Attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation, joins us to talk about what she calls “home equity theft” – the practice in some states of a taxing jurisdiction foreclosing on a tax lien and, in the process, forfeiting all the owner’s remaining equity in the property – no matter how small the tax lien or how large the remaining equity. The most vulnerable in our society are also the most likely victims. Ms. Martin discusses where this happens, why it happens, and why she is motivated to stop it.

Please share your thoughts on the show or this episode with me. I’m on Twitter @J_Clint. If you have thoughts about future show guests or ideas for episodes, please let me know.

1 Comment

Jacquelyn Evans on August 21, 2023 at 12:51 pm

I desperately need your help!!! I listened to the podcast about equity theft last night just before a conference with a judge because I requested a second continuance when the attorney for the person that was given my deed after an ALLEGED SALE DECEMBER 16, 2019. My home is worth close to $700K, the alleged tax debt was $47K, the tax director transferred my deed without a distribution, and without notice to us. They created a petition for distribution that is false and the tax director has even altered documents. The distribution petition they created is dated 06/22/20 which, if this was true, would have given us 20 days to respond. My deed was delivered four days later to a con who has tried to extort 150K from me, demanded a blank listing agreement for him to sell my home as the “new owner” with his wife as the realtor. The house has been exposed to upset FIVE TIMES because the original debt and the taxes since have not been paid creating a debt of more than 130K in back taxes. The courts are pushing us through without consideration of our rights and now the judge has denied a continuance with my disabled son (which is why my home has the equity in addition to 50K in modifications) because he is going in for a critical surgery, in addition the opposing attorney failed to respond to my discovery request and told the judge he sent them but they were all objectionable. There is no record of a sale ever, I have no evidence of a dime paid in taxes that would give him rights to my home and now we are being forced into a quiet title complaint PRO SE because the county placed us in such a biased position and the judge could care less about anything much less our rights. PLEASE I NEED YOUR HELP BECAUSE I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!!!!

Reply