When Grandma Told Me We Lost the House, I Didn’t Yet Know Who Was Behind It and What I Would Do in a Week…

I came home from work and immediately sensed something was off. Grandma was sitting at the kitchen table, hunched over, clutching a letter in her hands. She was crying quietly, hopelessly. The kind of tears shed by people who no longer believe things can get better.

My heart sank. I rushed to her and knelt down beside her.

— Grandma, what happened?

She looked up at me — her eyes red and empty.

— We’ve been deceived. Our house… it’s no longer ours. It’s my fault. I’ve lost everything.

Her hands trembled as she handed me the letter. I read it — and a rage surged from deep within me.

Two weeks ago, “social workers” visited Grandma. They introduced themselves as city administration employees. They said that elderly people were entitled to utility discounts but needed to fill out some forms. Grandma, who is eighty-two, believed them. She signed the papers they brought. She didn’t even read them thoroughly — her eyesight is poor, she didn’t have her glasses handy, and the “workers” were rushing her, saying there was only a promotional offer for processing that day.

In reality, she had signed a deed of gift for the house, transferring it to strangers. Fraudsters.

I looked at my grandma, who had raised me since I was five when my parents died in an accident. She worked two jobs so I could study. She spent her last pennies on my textbooks. And these scoundrels tricked her, an eighty-two-year-old woman, and took her home away.

— All is not lost, — I said, though I wasn’t sure if it was true. — I’ll get everything back.

The next day, I took all the documents and went to a lawyer. I asked him to check the legality of the deal. He studied the papers for several hours.

And he found something.

The fraudsters made a critical mistake. They had Grandma sign the documents at home, without witnesses, without legal consultation. The papers did not include confirmation that the consequences were explained to her. There was no medical report on her capacity, which is required for such transactions with elderly people.

The lawyer said, “This transaction can be contested. And we need to act immediately.”

We filed a lawsuit to declare the transaction invalid. I gathered statements from neighbors who saw these “social workers.” I found Grandma’s medical documents confirming her age and vision problems. I proved that she was misled.

Simultaneously, I went to the police. I filed a complaint about the fraud. I provided all the documents and described the scheme.

The court ruled in our favor. It acknowledged that Grandma did not understand what she was signing and that she was deceived. The transaction was annulled. The house remained hers.

The police arrested the fraudsters. It turned out to be an entire group. They had been tricking elderly people throughout the region, “helping them apply for discounts,” but in reality, taking their apartments and houses. Several people had already lost their homes.

But in Grandma’s case, they didn’t complete the deal. I stopped them in time.

When I brought Grandma new documents confirming that the house was hers again, she cried. But not from despair this time, from relief.

— You saved our house, — she repeated through tears. — You saved me.

I hugged her and said what I’ve always felt:

— You saved me when I was five and had nowhere to go. You gave me a home, a family, and love. This is the least I could do.

Six months have passed. The fraudsters were convicted. Several other elderly people also regained their homes thanks to this case. And I moved in with Grandma — so she would never again open the door to strangers alone.

Now all documents, all papers, all calls from “social services” go through me. I won’t let anyone trick her again.

This story could have ended differently. If I had come home a day later. If the fraudsters had paid the fee on time. If I hadn’t checked the documents so thoroughly.

Grandma would have lost the house. At eighty-two, she would have ended up on the street. And those scoundrels would have sold her home and vanished.

But I didn’t let that happen.

Do you check the documents your elderly relatives sign? Are you aware that fraudsters deceive seniors every day, under the guise of “benefits” and “assistance”? How many people have suffered because there was no one nearby to check the papers?

**********************

I came home and saw my grandma sitting at the kitchen table. She was crying, clutching a letter as if she were afraid it might disappear. My chest tightened.
– Grandma, what happened?
She looked up at me, her eyes red and empty, and whispered that we had been scammed. That the house was gone. That it was her fault.
At that moment, I still didn’t know who was behind it or what exactly I would do next…
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