Published by FOX News | April 10, 2023
A 78-year-old Long Island woman was shocked after receiving a letter from the Nassau County clerk informing her she no longer legally owns her home.
A woman on Long Island was arrested after investigators say she forged deed documentation on her elderly neighbor’s home, becoming the legal owner of the property.
Rosemarie Mika, 78, received a letter from the Nassau County Clerk saying she no longer owned her $350,000 home in Lakeview, according to NBC New York. Mika immediately got police and lawyers involved, according to the report, which led to the arrest of Aurelia Soogea, 35.
Soogea, the daughter of Mika’s neighbor, allegedly forged the signatures on the deeds to Mika’s home, according to prosecutors, transferring the ownership of the home for just $10.
Soogea was booked on a charge of grand larceny and appeared before a judge on Friday. Her legal team is contesting the charge.
“We are vehemently contesting it, we’ve entered a plea of not guilty,” defense attorney Lawrence Carra told NBC New York.
Carra said his client received ownership of the home as a gift from Mika for allegedly helping the woman.
But Mika’s attorney says the two women have no relationship and argued that Soogea did not work for the woman.
The judge on Friday ordered Soogea to have no contact with Mika and scheduled her to return to court on Thursday.
Investigators are calling on members of the public who feel “they may have been the victim of a similar incident,” to contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers or call 911.
The legal battle comes as squatting incidents have exploded in certain areas across the country in recent months. In New York, specifically, residents are facing a “growing problem” of squatters, according to a lawyer in the state who advised people “treat your properties like a business” to help protect against squatters.
