PROPERTY IDENTITY FRAUD

Most purchasers of a property pay through their solicitors to the seller’s solicitors the deposit and then the completion monies.  However a small (but growing) number of purchasers are finding that having paid the deposit and completion monies, they do not own the property.  This is a devastating outcome and potentially financially ruinous.

However, do not despair but do contact Robert Johnson of Healys LLP who will in these circumstances be able to recover your monies.

Robert has built up a considerable amount of experience and expertise in dealing with these types of property frauds.  The fraudster could be someone impersonating the true owner of the property; or a rogue conveyancer at the firm instructed by the true vendor; or a party who by way of cyber crime is able to interfere with the transaction and divert the monies to his/her (wrong) account.  It does not matter; Robert will be able to assist you.

If you have been the victim of a property fraud, please contact Robert Johnson for a free consultation on 020 7822 4106 or 07899 973306. You can also contact him at robert.johnson@healys.old-website.shout-loud.co.uk

Our Expertise

Claims against intended purchaser’s solicitors and purported vendor’s solicitors

Acted on behalf of the intended purchaser against two firms of solicitors in relation to a fraudulent property transaction in the sum of £1.1 million. We succeeded in obtaining judgment against the First Defendant for breach of trust after a 6 day Trial. The First Defendant appealed, our client cross-appealed and the Court of Appeal considered it together with a co-joined appeal for four days in 2018:  The Court of Appeal held that both Defendants were jointly liable for our client’s losses.

Claims against Sterling Avram LLP (“SA”)

Acted on behalf of a firm of solicitors who had acted for the intended purchasers of a house for about £7 million. The purchase monies had been paid to SA (a genuine firm of solicitors) but the fee-earner dealing with the transaction at SA was a fraudster.  In his position within SA, the fraudster was able to pretend that he and SA were acting for the true vendor of the house whereas the whole transaction was a fiction.  Hence when the monies were received for the purchase of the house, they were not transferred to the true owner of the house but rather accounts in Eastern Europe. After a number of years judgment was obtained against SA by both the intended purchasers (for whom we did not act) and the intended purchasers’ solicitors (for whom we did act) for both the full amount of the losses and the majority of legal costs incurred.

Claims against intended purchaser’s solicitor

Acted for the intended purchaser of a property for about £300,000 but because the purported vendor was a fraudster, the monies were paid to that fraudster and our client did not become the owner of the property. Within 8 months and without having to go anywhere near a courtroom, all of the purchase monies and most of the legal costs had been recovered.