In 2005, my now deceased husband and I purchased a home in Detroit, MI. My husband died in December, 2007. I was only working part-time on...

Question

In 2005, my now deceased husband and I purchased a home in Detroit, MI. My husband died in December, 2007. I was only working part-time & on disability. No taxes on the home were ever paid by us. In 2009/2010 a gentleman forged my signature stating that I quick claim deeded the house to him. I have been renting since 2008. The guy who frauded my signature was tried and pleaded guilty. The taxes on the property have escalated to over $23,000. The house still has not forclosed; someone is still living in the home, if I am still the legal owner who do I contact to help me get the people out and sell the home or move back in it. I am told not to go to the house for safety reasons. Any advice or referral to where I can obtain help would be appreciated.

Answer

There seems to be a few steps in this process and I would certainly recommend you meet with an attorney and bring any legal documents in your possession. The first thing I would recommend is obtaining a title search to see who is claiming they own your property. If you are the last recorded owner then you can simply file a lawsuit in district court to evict whoever is unlawfully living in your home. Once an Order is granted, the local law enforcment can remove the unlawful persons from the Property.