Central Florida Woman Succeeds In Costly Effort To Move Back Into Home That Was Hijacked By Outfit Engaged In Adverse Possession Scheme

In Hillsborough County, Florida, Newschannel 8 reports:

• After a costly, four-month ordeal, Danuta Brown regained the house and property taken out from under her. When she walked into the Dover house on Raven Manor Drive on Wednesday, she wiped tears from her eyes. They weren't tears of happiness - the four-bedroom, three-bath house was filthy. "I can't believe people would leave a house like this," Brown said. "This is such a mess, I can't believe it."

• Brown eventually won back her property after a company called Chateau Lan took possession of her vacant house, citing Florida's adverse possession law. That law allows a person to take possession of abandoned property if he lives on it and pays taxes on it for seven years.

• Though she was ultimately successful, Brown's long trip through the legal system was costly and time-consuming, and ended with her cleaning up a mess created by someone she had never intended to have live in her house.

• It's a fight that's become increasingly common as several companies try to use adverse possession claims to put people in homes they don't own. Chateau Lan's Chris McDonald Sr., of Plant City, says he's taken possession of about 20 houses in this manner.(1) Records at the property appraiser's office show Chateau Lan has laid claim to a dozen properties through adverse possession.

For more, see Woman regains vacant home after court fight.

In another Central Florida real estate hijacking story, investigators have an arrest warrant for George Williams who they say is running an elaborate scheme to defraud by moving people into empty properties with out the owners' consent and collecting money.

Go here for other posts on real estate-related hijacking scams.

(1) In a related story, see Company owner says takeover of homes 'helps people' (Chris McDonald says there's a good reason he and his company, Chateau Lan, have taken over houses he doesn't own and allowed people to move in without the homeowners' permission. It helps people, he says).