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Three people were arrested after an elderly Florida woman found out her property was sold, the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office confirmed this week.
Shirley Gibson, 86, told Local 10 that she found out about the sale when she went to pay her annual tax bill last month. She learned a new owner had already paid the bill and was shown the deed of the sale.
"Records show the $230,000 purchase, on paper, was by Ollie Development LLC, a company whose address comes back to a residential neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York," reporters learned. "A second property in West Grove that is owned by Gibson was also listed for sale without her knowledge."
“He says Ms. Gibson was physically present, she showed her driver’s license and signed this warranty deed, which we know she did not,” Gibson’s attorney, David Winker, said. “It’s a criminal matter. There’s no doubt in my mind that somebody is behind this.”
Officials with the attorney's office plan on revealing more information about the arrest around 2 p.m. Friday (June 18).
Gibson said she is the descendant of Bahamian settlers who became the pioneers of Coconut Grove. The family has held several properties for over a century, including a 5,000-square foot lot that was handed down to her.
“I am deeply hurt that someone would do this to me,” she said. “It represents my heritage. My grandfather purchased this in the early 1900s... I would like to have a legacy to leave to my niece and my nephew and my family.”