A family in Frankfort, Indiana, has been trying to obtain the deed to their home for nearly seven years, despite completely paying off their land contract. Yolanda, a resident of Frankfort, purchased the historic Victorian home on a land contract from local property owners Gracie and Jose (Lupe) Balderas in 2013 for $60,000. The family made their final payment in 2020 but has yet to receive the official deed to the property.
Dispute Over Payments
The dispute dates back to 2019 when the Balderases attempted to seize the house, claiming the family had fallen behind on payments. However, Yolanda explains that many house payments were made via trade and unrecorded cash hand-offs, as her husband worked directly for Jose Balderas’s landscaping business.
The family had to pay $9,400 to prevent the Balderases from taking their home. Since then, they have been paying house taxes on the property, but the property registration remains entirely under the Balderas name. As a result, Yolanda’s family cannot claim any homeowner property tax credits and must pay upwards of $2,500 per tax cycle in cash and card payments.
Lack of Resolution
When pressed for the paperwork, Gracie Balderas reportedly claimed the deed was tied up at a local law firm. However, the attorney associated with the original paperwork has since retired and closed his office, leaving the couple with no clear path forward. Recent attempts to call or text Gracie Balderas have been met with complete silence.
Frustrated by the delays, Yolanda filed a report with the Frankfort Police Department last year. While an initial officer gave the sellers a two-week ultimatum to produce the deed, a subsequent officer dismissed the issue as a civil matter for small claims court, effectively closing the police investigation.
Without a deed, the family lives in constant fear that their home could be taken away at any moment, halting plans to renovate the aging Victorian structure. The family is holding onto all text logs, tax documentation, and a final receipt showing a zero-dollar balance in hopes that media attention or eventual legal aid will force the transfer of their deed.
Original reporting: 93.1 WIBC (Indianapolis) — read the source article.
