A 77-year-old woman in Houston’s historic Third Ward is fighting to keep her longtime home after a shocking betrayal by her late son.
Barbara Arnold discovered that her son, Jeremiah Arnold, forged her signature on the property deed and illegally sold her home to investors before taking his own life in August 2024.
According to civil attorney Rex Mann, Barbara never signed over the property and is now being threatened with eviction from the house she has owned for decades.
“The simple fact is, my client did not sign the deeds that would have been required to give title to him to transfer to someone else,” Mann said.
Despite the fraudulent transaction, the investors involved have insisted the property is legally theirs. Barbara, who has already spent over $17,000 in legal fees, is also fighting to save a second property she had hoped to lease for income during retirement.
In a heart-wrenching interview with Fox 26, Barbara shared her pain, revealing that Jeremiah called her shortly before his death and urged her to check the deed.
“I did not sell my house,” she was emotional, standing in her son’s former room.
Despite the betrayal, Barbara has chosen forgiveness. She said her son called her and asked her to check the deed to her house before taking his life.
“He tried to make things better for us. He always was that, even in school,” she added.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help Barbara with legal expenses.
