Her House Was Taken Over, But She’s Got the Proof That Will Shock Everyone!

A homeowner, who had always paid her property taxes on time, found her home sold without her knowledge due to a clerical error. Robin McElroy, a resident of Chicago, Illinois, was stunned and nearly brought to tears when she received a letter claiming she owed the new owner years of rent.

McElroy had purchased her home in 2012 and maintained solid records proving that she had never missed a property tax payment. Despite this, she began receiving alarming letters from the Cook County Treasurer’s office threatening to seize her property. In 2019, the county investigated the matter and discovered a mix-up in the records—her property identification number (PIN) had been mistakenly swapped with that of a neighbor.

At the time, officials assured McElroy that her case had been resolved and there was no reason her home should be sold. She felt relieved, believing the problem was behind her. But five years later, McElroy received another shocking letter informing her that her property had been sold without her consent, and she now owed the new owner several years of rent.

“I pay my bills,” McElroy told CBS News. “I do not like wasting money. I do not pay that ‘stupid tax.’”

The Cook County Treasurer’s office again pointed to delinquent taxes as the reason for the sale. However, McElroy was adamant that county officials had misled the new owner into allowing the sale. “This lady should not have to be put in this position to go through all of this headache and heartache,” she said.

As it turned out, the county’s investigation into the PIN issue back in 2019 had been correct. The only problem was that no one had actually updated the records in the system, according to CBS News. County officials eventually acknowledged the mistake and assured McElroy that she could retain ownership of her home. But after years of uncertainty, McElroy remains cautious and vigilant.

“This is somebody’s property that they paid for, that they’re living in,” she said, reflecting on her situation. She has since hired a lawyer to guide her through the process.

“You guys can point fingers all day long. I don’t care,” McElroy added. “I want what’s rightfully owned to me.”

While McElroy’s case is a frustrating example of government errors, homeowners do have the opportunity to reclaim their property if it is sold due to unpaid taxes—provided they can pay off the owed amount. McElroy’s story is part of a larger issue where homeowners have lost their properties under questionable circumstances. One buyer recently saw his home sold without his knowledge, while a mother’s house was sold for just $12,000 due to an unpaid bill that wasn’t hers.

How does something like this happen? Here are three primary reasons why your home could be sold without your consent:

1. Tax Sale

A tax sale occurs when a government sells property to recover unpaid taxes. Before the sale, homeowners typically have a “right of redemption” period to pay off their debts and reclaim their property. Laws vary by state, but generally, homeowners are given ample notice before a tax sale takes place.

2. Foreclosure

Foreclosure happens when lenders seize control of a property after a borrower fails to make payments. Homeowners in homeowners’ associations (HOA) communities can also face foreclosure if they fall behind on HOA fees, even if they’re current on their mortgage. In these cases, properties may be sold for far less than their actual value to cover the outstanding debt.

3. Property Fraud

Property fraud occurs when criminals use stolen or forged IDs to impersonate homeowners and sell or mortgage properties. These types of crimes often target absent owners, such as landlords or people living abroad, as well as those who own homes free of any mortgages. There have been instances where properties worth hundreds of thousands of dollars were sold for just a fraction of their value—such as a vacation home valued at $300,000 being sold for just $9,000 by criminals who had forged the deed.

In the case of McElroy, the sale of her property was a direct result of bureaucratic failure. Her story serves as a reminder of how vulnerable homeowners can be to errors in official records, and how important it is to stay vigilant and informed about the status of your property.