A Southwest Memphis homeowner says she found out someone else “owned” her house long after the fact, when a quitclaim deed showed up in county records that she never signed. Memphis police say that forged paperwork quietly transferred the property, which the victim inherited from her grandmother in 2021, to another party in December 2025 without her knowledge.
Investigators have now arrested 50-year-old Marty Marmon and 43-year-old Shawnquentia Garrett in connection with the alleged scheme. Both are scheduled to be in a Memphis courtroom Monday morning.
Affidavit Lays Out Alleged Forgery
According to WREG, detectives say the quitclaim deed carried a signature the victim insists is not hers and that she believes looks similar to forgeries that once appeared on her grandmother’s bank withdrawal slips.
Investigators tracked down a phone number tied to the filing of the deed and say that number was linked to Garrett. The affidavit also states that a niece later picked out both Marmon and Garrett in separate photo lineups, again according to WREG.
Deed Theft Part Of A Wider Pattern
Cases like this are not rare. Across the country, scammers have been able to use forged quitclaim deeds and spotty verification at county offices to walk off with paper ownership of homes they do not own. Tennessee has seen similar incidents, including a Memphis case where a quitclaim was filed on a hospice patient’s home, according to reporting by Home Title Lock.
Housing advocates and industry observers warn that absentee owners and relatives who inherit property after a death are especially vulnerable to this kind of low-tech paperwork fraud.
Charges And Next Court Date
Court documents list the Southwest Memphis home’s value at about $79,200. Marmon faces multiple charges, including theft of property valued between $60,000 and $250,000, forgery, and unlawfully drawing up property transfer documents without having any interest in the real estate, according to WREG.
Both Marmon and Garrett are set to appear in the Memphis court on Monday morning while detectives continue to chase leads in the case.
How Homeowners Can Protect Their Title
Homeowners who want to make sure no surprise deed has been filed on their property can search recorded documents through the Shelby County Register of Deeds. Suspicious filings can be reported to the Memphis Police Department’s fraud unit, which posts non‑emergency contact information on its website.
Anyone with information about this case can also contact CrimeStoppers. Investigators say they are particularly interested in hearing from people who noticed anything unusual around the Leacrest Avenue property in December.
