Three-year prison sentence in Redwood City home sale fraud

Weeks before the July 2018 auction Miller, a licensed real estate agent, and a co-defendant took the Redwood City woman to Applebee’s, bought her two margaritas and then offered her a $500,000 “reverse mortgage” with the ability to live on the property until her death, prosecutors said.

Miller gave the woman $1,000 in cash and had her sign a grant deed in favor of Rex Regum, LLC, solely owned by co-defendant Justin Rodgers Hall, 38, of Van Nuys, prosecutors said.

The deed claimed the woman was paid $800,000 for the property, prosecutors said.

The Redwood City woman never received $800,000 and maintains that she did not know she was signing over ownership of the property, prosecutors said.

Hall recorded the grant deed later that same day and immediately paid the delinquent property taxes, prosecutors said.

The county Recorder’s Office reported the incident because the sale price was so far below market value, according to prosecutors. Miller, interviewed by law enforcement about her role in the transaction, called a few days later and said she “cleared everything up” with the victim, prosecutors said.

The Redwood City woman told law enforcement that Miller gave her another $1,000 in cash and upped the purchase price of the home to $600,000, prosecutors said.

Hall sold the property in 2018 to a third party for $997,000 and Miller later went with a U-Haul to the house and tried to get the woman to move out of the property, prosecutors said.

Miller brought a real estate agent with her to assist the woman in finding a new property to buy in Auburn, prosecutors said.

This real estate agent became suspicious and reported the incident to Redwood City Police who arrived and ordered Miller to leave, according to prosecutors.

Hall has transferred the proceeds from the sale of the property through numerous bank accounts, prosecutors said.

A Jan. 24 preliminary hearing in San Mateo County Superior Court is set for Hall.