TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A state investigation into a title stolen with a forgery underscored a growing issue, but the case has been closed with the owners scratching their heads about one of the reasons they were given.
The title for Moore Cuts Florida Tree Service’s main vehicle was stolen with a forged title transfer last year.
Co-owner Jennifer Moore said the crime was not noticed until she tried to register the vehicle. Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles investigated the case without passing it along for prosecution.
“They said they couldn’t help me because they didn’t have a handwriting expert on staff,” Moore said. “I would think that would be the first hire in a fraud unit because when you think fraud, I immediately think forged signatures.”
The Moores have fixed the title issue, but it took several weeks. The truck was finally back on the road this week for a volunteer job involving a Tampa woman stuck in a 17-month battle with her insurance company about damage caused by Hurricane Ian.
Moore also recruited Tampa Bay Stumps to haul about 20,000 pounds of debris away for free.
The trees and limbs went down in Janice Clark’s backyard but the insurance settlement didn’t cover the tree removal, forcing Clark to look for help she could afford.
Clark was in tears as the crews cleaned up the mess after waiting more than an entire hurricane season to get her yard back.
“It’s hard to accept that someone’s being that nice,” Clark said. “You see so much bad but there’s still some good out there. And you know I couldn’t afford to get it done without them.”
Moore said it was about community.
“We have to help each other when we can,” Moore said. “She couldn’t use the backyard for her family. That’s terrible. We were happy to do it and [Tampa Bay Stumps] felt the same way. Now, she has her yard back.”
The Moores remain concerned about the lack of safeguards against fraud with DMV documents.
Clerks are not required to check signatures and title transfer documents do not have to be notarized.
Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano said the DMV used to require notarization, but stopped several years ago. He called title fraud a growing problem across the state.
While the state has closed its case on the Moore’s title, New Port Richey police have an active fraud investigation involving two suspects. Police have not responded to requests for comment.
The Moores said they hope someone is held accountable to send a message to other would be fraudsters.
“It’s going to highlight something that happened not just to us but to thousands of people in the state of Florida,” Moore said.
You can check your title manually on the state DMV portal but there is not a system in place to alert you if your vehicle is the subject of fraud.
