Man Arrested For Stealing House Moves Back In After Posting Bail

If I get arrested for stealing a car, that boosted vehicle probably isn’t waiting outside the police station for me to drive away in when I make bail. But a man in New York City who was recently arrested for stealing a home from its rightful owner was able to move back into the house he’s been accused of taking.

According to the NY Daily News, the woman who owns the house — which she uses as a second home and which has been in her family for nearly 85 years — realized something was wrong when the water bill for the property increased suddenly.

That’s when she discovered that a man had forged a deed to the house, moved into the building with his two sons and their dogs, and gotten rid of her car and all the furniture.

The police originally told her it was a civil matter, but prosecutors in Queens ultimately decided to indict the faux-homeowner on multiple criminal charges, including grand larceny.

The man was eventually able to post his $25,000 bond and moved right back into the home he’s accused of stealing, and where his sons continued to reside while he was behind bars.

“It’s mind-boggling,” says the rightful homeowner, who hasn’t been able to enter the house since learning of the scam. “I can’t even begin to describe the anguish that I feel.”

While the criminal case is pending, she must now head to a city housing court to seek an eviction order against the man and his sons.

by Chris Morran via Consumerist