SQUATTERS. Every Investors Worse Nightmare

Family Member to Squatter
I had the pleasure of helping a client who frequently invests in real estate. She ended up renting an apartment in Riverside County to a family member. Unfortunately, the tenant stopped paying rent, and since the agreement wasn't notarized, my client had to battle a claim made by her own family member, stating, "This isn’t the original agreement I signed," "I signed an agreement with lower rent," and "This agreement is fraudulent." Imagine the months and years of sacrifice you made to finally gain the property you’ve been looking at, only to be hit with a claim made by your own family, stating the agreement is fraudulent. Fortunately, it was resolved with a popular method called cash for keys. We ended up notarizing an agreement stating that my client would give her family member (tenant) a deposit for an apartment in exchange for them moving out. It's crazy to think your own family would make such an outrageous claim, let alone live and deal with it.

Notice: Under federal law, we must inform you that we aren’t attorneys, and you shouldn’t construe this story as legal advice. However, it is public information that notarizing your document can help protect your valuable time and prevent any future claims that your documents are fraudulent.