In Raleigh, a woman has found herself amidst allegations of attempting to unlawfully claim ownership of a multi-million-dollar home. Dawn Mangum is facing felony charges for attempting to obtain property by false pretense after she purportedly filed a deed for a house she did not own, according to CBS 17.
The home in question belongs to Dr. Craig Adams, a local dentist who expressed his utter disbelief and feeling of violation upon discovering the fraudulent filing. "Shock, disbelief, violated. Total shock this could actually happen," Adams said in a statement obtained by CBS 17. Mangum surrendered to authorities on Monday and faced an increased bond from $100,000 to $150,000 when she appeared before Wake County Judge Mark Stevens the following day.
Further complicating the matter, an Assistant District Attorney has indicated the possibility of additional charges being levied against Mangum. This development came to light during her first court appearance, which was conducted via video conference from jail, as reported by ABC 11. Adams, having attended the proceedings, expressed a mixture of relief and ongoing distress over the convoluted situation, stating, "It's still a nightmare to try and unwind this mess."
Adams' washer and dryer situation came to light in August, when a deed bearing Mangum's name was filed without proof of ownership, a troubling practice that Adams believes calls for legal reform. "This could pretty much happen to anybody," Adams told WRAL. He suspects Mangum intended to squat on the property, complicating legal efforts to remove her. Despite homeowners having the option to set an alert with the county for deed filings, once a deed is recorded, authorities claim it cannot be reversed, leaving the true owner to litigate the matter in court to deem the filing fraudulent.
