Muncie man with fake property deed shows up at homeowner's house, court docs reveal

DELAWARE COUNTY, Ind. - A Muncie man is accused of forging a property deed, showing up at a homeowner's residence and claiming he was the actual owner.




Phoenix Hile, 26, was arrested on Wednesday on preliminary felony counts of fraud, theft, burglary, forgery, unauthorized entry and possession of methamphetamine.

According to court documents, Delaware County deputies were called to a home in the 4600 block of W. Eaton-Wheeling Pike on Thursday after homeowners reported that someone was on their property.




Deputies arrived on scene and discovered Hile in a barn just west of the residence. Hile claimed to be the true owner of the property and presented a "Quitclaim Deed" to the deputies. Hile claimed to have bought the property from the city, but refused to tell deputies how much he paid or how he came into acquiring the property.




Hile allegedly told deputies that how he came into the property was "personal" and he didn't want to disclose it, court documents detail.




The deed presented to deputies allegedly bore the names of Hile as well as the current homeowners. It was also signed by a notary. But the homeowners said they had no idea about this deed, never agreed to any sale and didn't sign over the property to Hile.




While police were escorting Hile from the property, he is accused of entering a minivan and attempting to grab some tools he claimed were his. When asked if he owned the van, Hile claimed that since the van was on "his" property that "possession is 9/10ths of the law."




Court documents reveal that deputies eventually made contact with the notary who confirmed that Hile directed her to add the current homeowners' names to the Quitclaim Deed. She agreed she "probably shouldn't have done it."




The notary claimed to have never met Hile previously and also confirmed the true homeowners were never present when she notarized the deed.




The deed, now confirmed fraudulent, was therefore null and void, deputies said.




While searching Hile, deputies reported uncovering two grams of "crystal rock" in his pockets that is believed by investigators to have been meth.




Hile was booked into Delaware County Jail late Thursday morning. Official charges have not yet been filed in this case and will be determined by the Delaware County Proscutor's Office.





via: https://fox59.com/news/indycrime/muncie-man-with-fake-property-deed-shows-up-at-homeowners-house-court-docs-reveal/