Throwback Friday: Family loses R40 000 in house fraudulent scheme

Sibongile Muhambe has lost R40 000 in a fraudulent housing scheme – where she was promised a home at a cost of R70 000.

The house is situated in Doornkop and has apparently been sold four times to different people.

Muhambe heard from a friend that there’s a man who sells houses and was selling a house, and because she’s currently renting, she saw it as an opportunity.

She was given the man’s contact and they later met at Dobsonville Usave.

“The man asked me to get a lawyer arguing that he prefers doing things by the book.

“Our lawyers were closed in December; therefore we (with her husband) had to wait till January. I eventually got the lawyers and we drove to the title deeds department and the deed to the house was declared legit.”

Muhambe said: “The deeds department wanted to make an original since the man was selling the house – which he then refused and opted to have my lawyers do the paper work.”

The man had a death certificate of a woman he claimed was his mother but they’ve since discovered that his real mom is alive and lives in Orange Farm.

Convinced that all documents were authentic, Muhambe and her husband gave the man R10 000 face-to-face and had the lawyers make a R30 000 deposit to the man’s account.

“After making these payments, we decided to move into the house but members of the Community Police Forum asked to see the documents for the house we had bought, only to discover that our address on the papers didn’t correspond with the original.

“Initially, we did not check the house number because it wasn’t even written on the wall. And having viewed it five times before, we trusted that the man was telling the truth.

“We in fact had a title deed to a Tshabalala house and the house we had bought belonged to a Gqamulani family. The owners were called and they even showed us their title deed,” she cried.

Muhambe said: “We immediately tried to call him but his phone was off service and we drove to where he had rented but we were told he had long gone.”

“I urge people to be extremely careful and not to rush to buy a house before verifying all necessary documents and not to make any payments till all is confirmed.

“Ask from the neighbours if indeed the house in question is being sold and ask to meet the rightful owners,” she said.

She has opened a criminal case at the Roodepoort Police Station and investigation continues.

According to a lawyer, Nothemba George, a buyer should always insist a ‘Deeds Search’ be performed to check the authenticity of a title deed and confirmation details of the rightful owner.

Alternatively, a buyer should ask to see the identity document and original title deed of the owner but still insist a Deeds Search.

George said: “The buyer should engage attorneys in the process of changing names and should refrain from depositing money into the estate agent’s account, rather should have a ‘Trust Account’ with an attorney.”

A buyer should only deposit money into the Trust Account where the client money is kept,” she said.

Attorneys will then complete the transaction after the deal with the estate agent has been finalised and all details have been transferred.

In a case where the home owner has died, George said there must be a letter from the Master’s Office and someone will be appointed legally as the owner of the house.

To verify if the attorney helping you to buy a house is certified contact Gauteng Law Society on 012 338 5800.

Roodepoort police have confirmed the case number and said an investigation is underway.