Woman accused of using fraudulent deeds in Seminole County faces fines

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — After months of avoiding questions from 9 Investigates, the woman behind the nonprofit accused of using fraudulent deeds to take control of some dilapidated properties in Seminole County is now facing thousands in fines from Code Enforcement.

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Investigative Reporter Karla Ray has been trying to get Karen Bobb’s side of the story, after uncovering she notarized those allegedly fraudulent deeds herself. Channel 9 has learned that liens could be placed on one of the properties this month.

The property on Leonard Street in Altamonte Springs is not in compliance with the code. The woman behind the nonprofit accused of using fraudulent deeds to take the lot was forced to answer questions to the county’s Code Enforcement Board.

Read: 9 Investigates: Woman accused of using fraudulent deed on family property

“I don’t own it; the organization is a nonprofit organization for housing development,” Karen Bobb told Code Enforcement Board members.

The house is in the name of The Home Fund, which Karen Bobb operates.

She was called in front of the board for two separate code cases on the same property, where she claimed the man who called this place home for years, and who told 9 Investigates he never signed over his rights to the home or land, was dishonest with her.

Read: 9 Investigates speaks with psychotherapist if Lake County woman will face a jury

“The occupant Gary Chestnut, there were things not revealed to me that he did not make me aware of, which is part of my own due diligence there, but slowly he began to reveal there were more problems with the property than there actually were,” Bobb said.

Chestnut maintains and has sworn to Sheriff’s deputies, that he did not authorize the deed transfer that moved the property into Bobb’s control. Investigators agree the signature on the gift deed does not match the one on Gary’s license, and looking even closer, the notary who signed off on it, is Bobb herself.

Between the two open code cases, county leaders say the fines total $8600. The request for liens will go before the board on August 22.

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