When her grandmother transferred the deed to her in 2008, Shannon Pleasant believed the modest East Austin home on Kuhlman Avenue would stay in the family for generations. After Alfredia Miller passed away in 2017, Pleasant saw it as part of her grandmother’s legacy.
So when a relative texted her in 2014 asking why she’d sold the property, Pleasant was stunned.
“I got a text message from my uncle, and he said, ‘Why did you sell the property?’” Pleasant told KVUE Defenders (1). “And I called him back and I said, ‘What are you talking about?'”
When she checked the Travis Central Appraisal District website, she discovered someone else was listed as the owner. The home itself was already gone, replaced by new construction. Public records showed a deed transferring the property in 2023 for just $10 — bearing a signature Pleasant says isn’t hers.
Pleasant is now suing an Austin developer, 2 Grier Brothers, alleging her grandmother’s home was stolen. Cases like hers are becoming more common — and experts say it’s a growing threat for property owners across the country.
Pleasant says she realized something was wrong when she spotted a deed transfer with a forged signature. In June 2024, she filed a lawsuit against several people and companies tied to the sale of the property.
TCAD records show the house changed hands rapidly. On March 1, 2023, a man named Bryant Taylor bought the property and sold it the same day to Rexwell Development. Then on July 31, records show “Pleasant” transferring the home to Rexwell again — without her knowledge, she says. Weeks later, Rexwell sold it to NuWave Solutions, which that same day transferred it to 2 Grier Brothers LLC.
City permitting records show Guardian Custom Builders LLC later received demolition and building approvals for the site. The company’s founder, Jeff Grier, is also listed on state documents for 2 Grier Brothers LLC. KVUE contacted Grier multiple times but did not receive a response.
In 2023, nearly one in three title insurance companies reported at least one attempt at seller impersonation fraud. By 2024, two in 10 companies said they had already encountered similar schemes that year, according to the American Land Title Association (2).
Pleasant’s lawsuit accuses the defendants of using “unlawful means” to take the property, including a forged signature.
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In January, one defendant, Bryant Taylor, was dropped from the suit after attorneys said they couldn’t locate him. The next month, NuWave Solutions LLC denied all allegations.
When 2 Grier Brothers LLC failed to appear in court soon after, a judge issued a default judgment temporarily restoring the property to Pleasant.
Pleasant returned to the home with Austin police to change the locks, where she says she encountered Grier. According to Pleasant, Grier claimed he didn’t know about the lawsuit. Officers classified the situation as criminal trespassing and allowed her to proceed.
But in April 2025, the judge granted a new trial after 2 Grier Brothers argued they never received notice.
Pleasant’s experience is not an outlier. A 2025 National Association of Realtors survey found 63% of respondents were aware of deed fraud, with cases most common in cities and suburbs — especially involving vacant or inherited properties (3).
In July, KVUE reported that the Alexander family filed suit against NuWave and Precise Custom Homes Inc., alleging the companies illegally demolished their grandmother’s home on Kimble Lane even though county records showed the property belonged to the Alexanders.
Different families, different streets — but the same pattern keeps repeating: homes meant to be passed down disappearing before anyone can stop it.
Deed fraud is getting easier to pull off. Brian Pitman, CEO of Independence Title, told KVUE that artificial intelligence can now replicate notary signatures and seals so convincingly that even legitimate notaries sometimes have no idea their credentials were used.
The problem has become serious enough that Texas lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1734, which took effect September 1. The law gives property owners a faster and less expensive way to challenge a forged deed by taking the issue directly to a judge without a full trial.
For families with inherited or vacant property, the best defense is regular monitoring.
Most counties let you search ownership records online for free, so checking every month or so can help you catch any unexpected filings early. Make sure the mailing address on file is current. If you don’t live at the property — missed notices are often how fraud slips through. Some owners also choose to purchase title insurance for added protection (4).
And if something looks off — a deed you don’t recognize, an unexpected tax bill or even a listing you didn’t approve — act fast. Contact the county clerk, a real estate attorney or a title company right away. These cases are much easier to resolve before the property changes hands again.
Keeping wills and inheritance documents organized can also help ensure ownership is clearly documented and harder to dispute.
“If you’re not checking on your property, it can be stolen from you,” Pleasant said.
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KVUE Defenders (1); American Land Title Association (2); National Association of Realtors (3); National Association of Realtors (4).
This article originally appeared on Moneywise.com under the title: Texas family says their longtime home was stolen in an ‘illegal land grab’ — deed records show it sold for $10
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