A woman accidentally purchased 85 homes instead of one due to a typo in her paperwork, leading to a surprising situation.
Recently, a woman in Nevada unexpectedly became owner of an entire neighborhood after a typographical error in her paperwork.
Gabriella Ferlita, the unnamed homeowner, thought she was purchasing a single-family home in Sparks, located northeast of Reno.
However, a mistake in the documentation turned her dream into a rather surprising reality.
Woman buys entire 85 homes in the neighborhood instead of one over typo in paperwork
The story began when Ferlita set her sights on a property she believed to be perfect for her needs.
She made a payment of $594,481, which she thought was for one home.
However, to her shock, she later discovered that her paperwork indicated she had acquired 85 properties, along with two common areas.
This unexpected expansion of her real estate portfolio was valued at approximately $50 million, far exceeding her initial expectations.
The error happened during the filing process with the Washoe County assessor’s office.
How could one person accidentally become the owner of an entire neighborhood?
According to Cori Burke, the chief deputy assessor, explained that the mistake was likely due to a copy-and-paste error.
This error was made by Westminster Title, a title company located in Las Vegas.
Burke explained that it appeared the title company copied a legal description from another property transaction involving Toll Brothers, a famous developer.
This led to the erroneous transfer of ownership of numerous homes to Ferlita.
Burke said: “It appears Westminster Title out of Las Vegas may have copied and pasted a legal description from another Toll Brothers transfer when preparing (the homebuyer’s) deed for recordation.
“It was clear that a mistake had occurred, so our assessment services division contacted Westminster Title immediately.
They started working on correcting the chain of title for the 86 properties that were transferred in error,” Burke added.
The situation left many in the community and beyond scratching their heads.
The mix-up raised questions about the processes involved in real estate transactions and how easily mistakes can occur.
Burke reassured the public that such errors are not as uncommon as one might think.
She noted that the simplicity of copy-and-paste functions in legal documents often leads to similar issues.
Officials quickly contacted Westminster Title to fix the mistake.
After the mistake was identified, officials from the assessor’s office promptly contacted Westminster Title to rectify the problem.
They aimed to correct the chain of title for the 86 properties transferred in error.
While the developers of the homes would be reissued their rightful titles, Ferlita had the option to reject this transfer.
However, there has been no indication that she intends to halt the process.
Burke emphasized that the intent behind the transaction was clear.
The title company maintained documentation of the offer and acceptance of the purchase, which should clarify any misunderstandings.
Burke acknowledged that the situation might lead to legal disputes.
However, she was confident that the case would not stand in court because the mistake was clear.
She said: “This particular case is just a little more interesting because of the number of lots involved.
“It is cut-and-dry for us, but we only see the recorded documents, not what the title company goes through to get clear title,” Burke said.
She continued: “I think someone could try to make things difficult.
However, the title company also has the offer and acceptance for the purchase on file so the intent is pretty clear.”