Upland Woman Faces 6 Years in Prison After Conviction of Real Estate Fraud

SAN BERNARDINO– A woman was convicted of six counts of real estate fraud stemming from filing false grant deeds with the San Bernardino County Recorders Office.

On April 14, 2017, a jury convicted Barbara Rae Bratton, a 58-year-old, resident of Upland. For 6 counts of real estate fraud, she was taken into custody after she was found guilty.

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In May 2013, Bratton was investigated by the Ontario Police Department suspected of filing two false grant deeds with the San Bernardino County Recorder’s Office to secure a residential property in the 900 block of Locust Street in the city of Ontario. The false documents were filed by Bratton to try to take possession of a residence she had previously been evicted and lost to foreclosure.

John Vega the Sr. District Attorney assigned to the case explained that the residence had been sold to new buyers, who had legally purchased it. He went on to say, “Ms. Bratton owned the house at one time, but had not made a mortgage payment on it for approximately four years resulting in the foreclosure, and two evictions, to finally remove her from the property.”

Bratton tried to make an argument to the court that she was the owner of the residence, even though she had not been making payments on the property. She cited theories to the court that were flawed in an attempt to legally claim the property. Some people have tried to use these theories in similar cases to obtain ownership of properties without paying home loans.

Deputy District Attorney Vance stated, ” The defendant intentionally attempted to deprive the new owners of the home by placing the house back in her name and then filing a civil lawsuit against them that she eventually lost in court.”

Bratton’s next court appearance is on May 18, 2017.