Judge Allows Prosecution Of California Man Accused Of Using Forged Deed To Steal Home To Continue

In Santa Cruz, California, the San Jose Mercury News reports:

• A man accused of taking ownership of a home that wasn't his knew the real story behind the Ben Lomond property when he moved in this spring, according to testimony in court Tuesday. The computer of Daniel Judd, formerly of Saratoga, contained records identifying the property's legitimate owner as Pleasanton couple Tom Decker and Maria McArthur, an inspector with the District Attorney's Office testified. The computer also contained what is thought to be a forged deed granting ownership to Judd, according to the inspector.

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• Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Paul Marigonda ruled [...] there was sufficient evidence for prosecutors to proceed with three felony charges against Judd. The counts involve the falsification of documents in connection with an alleged scheme to take possession of the Santa Cruz Mountains home.(1)

• The case came to light when Decker and McArthur, who bought the three-bedroom Hubbard Gulch Drive house in 2007 as a place to retire, returned from a vacation in April to find their locks re-keyed, their furniture moved to the garage and Judd living there.

For the story, see Attorney: Computer records suggest Judd's involvement in Ben Lomond home heist.

(1) Reportedly, Judd's attorney maintained his client's innocence. According to Ken Azevedo, Judd bought the home in early April from another man, Santa Cruz resident Ray Tate, unaware that Tate did not have a legitimate claim to the property. Tate, too, faces charges of forgery as well as illegally obtaining property. DeedContraTheft