Find New Roads at your THE RESULTS TOGETHER WITH ERIK VON ANCKEN. THIS IS NEWS 6 AT
5 GETTING RESULTS.
>> WELL, TONIGHT, NEWS 6
INVESTIGATES A GROWING CRIME
AND YOU COULD BE THE NEXT
VICTIM THE FRAUDULENT LEE TOOK
POSSESSION OF A CENTRAL
FLORIDA MAN’S PROPERTY. THE
THIEF THEN TRIED TO SELL THAT
LAND TO AN UNSUSPECTING BUYER
NEWS. 6 INVESTIGATOR MIKE
DEFOREST IS LOOKING INTO THIS
REAL ESTATE FRAUD. SO MIKE.
>> ANYONE CAN BECOME A VICTIM,
ABSOLUTELY LEAST THAT EVEN IF
YOU DO NOT OWN A HOME OR DON’T
OWN ANY PROPERTY I DISCOVERED
YOU CAN STILL GET ROPED INTO
ONE OF THESE REAL ESTATE
SCHEMES. BUT THERE ARE WAYS TO
PROTECT YOURSELF. ALONG THE
POPULAR WEST ORANGE TRAIL IN
OAKLAND SINCE THIS VACANT
PROPERTY OWNED BY WILLIAM
FLANAGAN.
>> JUST BEAUTIFUL. I WAS
HOPING TO BUILD A HOME THERE
SOON.
>> AND THEN.
>> ALL THE STUFF HAPPENED
EARLIER THIS YEAR. FLANAGAN
RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM THE
ORANGE COUNTY COMPTROLLER’S
OFFICE WHERE PROPERTY DEEDS
ARE RECORDED. I WAS
INFURIATED. FLANAGAN WAS TOLD
HIS VACANT LAND HAD JUST BEEN
SOLD FOR $27,000. SO I FELT
BAD FOR WHOEVER PURCHASED IT
BECAUSE I’M LIKE WHAT? I
DIDN’T SELL IT. THIS DEED
SHOWS WILLIAM FLANAGAN HAD
TRANSFERRED THE OAKLAND
PROPERTY TO A MAN NAMED JARED
LONG WHO NOW OWNED IT. WHO’S
JARED MOM? I HAD NO IDEA. I’VE
NEVER MET HIM. I HAVE NO IDEA
WHO HE IS. FLANAGAN THEN
RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM
THIS MAN, A MOUSE PRI, THE
REALTOR GUY WITH BEACON REAL
ESTATE ASSOCIATES. THIS REAL
ESTATE BROKER DISCOVERED THE
OAKLAND PROPERTY WAS BEING
SOLD ONLINE AND HE HAD CLIENTS
WHO WANTED TO BUY IT. SO I
REACHED OUT TO THE SELLER HE
SAID HIS NAME WAS JERRY LONG.
>> AND JARED LONG WAS LOOKING
TO SELL HIS PROPERTY RIGHT
AWAY.
>> AND IT WAS AT A REDUCED
PRICE. SENSING SOMETHING WAS
WRONG. THE REALTOR STOP THE
SALE AND CONTACTED FLANAGAN AT
THIS POINT. NOW I’M THINKING,
OK, SO NOW JARED LONG IS THE
CRIMINAL. THIS IS JARED LONG.
I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHO MISTER
FLANAGAN IS. I’VE NEVER BEEN
TO OAKLAND, FLORIDA. IT TURNS
OUT JARED LONG IS THE VICTIM
OF IDENTITY THEFT, SOMEONE
FRAUD. LEE PUT HIS NAME ON THE
DEED.
>> ON PAPER, I AND LOAN OR
OWNER OF THAT THEY CAN
PROPERTY LINE. YEAH,
ABSOLUTELY. DO YOU WANT IT
NOW?
>> I DO FORTUNATELY BEFORE THE
FAKE JARED LONG COULD SELL THE
>> I DO FORTUNATELY BEFORE THE
FAKE JARED LONG COULD SELL THE Find New Roads at your FLANAGAN GOT IN TOUCH WITH THE
REAL JARED LAW. NEW 6 CAUGHT
UP WITH THEM AT AN ATTORNEY’S
OFFICE HERE. THE REAL JARED
LONG SIGNED A NEW DEED PUTTING
THE PROPERTY BACK IN
FLANAGAN’S NAME. IT COULD HAVE
BEEN A VERY, VERY COSTLY
SITUATION. SO THANK GOODNESS
IT’S WELL, THE SIMPLE FOR US
TOO.
>> CORRECTED. I THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR DOING THE STORY
BECAUSE I JUST WANT OTHER
PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT THIS COULD
BE HAPPENING TO THEM. YOU
KNOW, BE AWARE. FLANAGAN IS
NOW PUT THIS SIGN ON HIS
PROPERTY MAKING CLEAR IT’S NOT
FOR SALE. WHILE YOU MAY NOT BE
ABLE TO PREVENT SOMEONE FROM
GOING DOWN TO YOUR COUNTY
RECORDERS OFFICE AND FILING A
FRAUDULENT DEED. THERE ARE
WAYS TO PROTECT YOURSELF. THE
ORANGE COUNTY COMPTROLLER
PROVIDES A FREE PROPERTY FRAUD
ALERT. SERVICE THAT NOTIFIES
YOU WHENEVER A TRANSACTION IS
MADE IN YOUR NAME. IF IT MEETS
ALL THE REQUIREMENTS OF LAW,
WE’VE GOT A RECORD THAT WE
HAVE NO CHOICE.
>> BUT WE DO HAVE A CHOICE ON
IS NOT BEING A VICTIM. AND
THAT’S WHY WE SET UP THE
SERVICE. AND THAT’S WHY I’M
JUST THRILLED TO HEAR ABOUT
ABOUT THIS CITIZEN WHO IS ABLE
TO STOP THIS.
>> IF YOU’VE GOT ELDERLY
PARENTS OR OTHER LOVED ONES
WHO OWN PROPERTY, YOU CAN SET
UP FRAUD ALERTS FOR THOSE AS
WELL. AND MANY OTHER CENTRAL
FLORIDA COUNTIES ALSO PROVIDE
FREE PROPERTY FRAUD ALERT,
INCLUDING FLAGLER LAKE
OSCEOLA, SEMINOLE AND VOLUSIA
COUNTIES.
>> WE’VE POSTED LINKS ON OUR
WEBSITE. CLICK, ORLANDO DOT
COM SERVICE SEEMS KI. YEAH, IT
DOES. THE FIRST CLUE IS THAT
THE PROPERTY WAS GOING FOR
LESS THAN NORMAL VALUE.
NOTHING IS GOING FOR THAT
RIGHT NOW. AND MIKE, THIS IS
OBVIOUSLY A CRIME HERE. DOES
FLANAGAN KNOW WHO TRIED TO
SELL HIS LAND? NOT YET, BUT WE
CAN TELL YOU LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICIALS.
>> ON THE CASE, THEY TELL ME
THEY HAVE LAUNCHED A CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATION. FLANAGAN MONTH
THAT THIEF BROUGHT TO JUSTICE
BEFORE SOMEONE ELSE GETS
VICTIMIZED. SO WE’LL
DEFINITELY STAY ON TOP OF ANY
DEVELOPMENTS. REALLY