Portland Man Recovers His House

Ron Henne, a lifelong North Portlander, legally recovered his home this week from a scammer who had stolen it—or at least the title.

Multnomah County Circuit Judge Adrian Brown issued a judgment nullifying the fraudulent deed a California man named Silvestre Garcia filed Jan. 29 after he purportedly purchased Henne’s home in the Pier Park neighborhood for about half of what it’s worth (“A Friend in Deed,” WW, March 27).

With the help of his daughter, Sarah, and their attorney, former state Rep. Julie Parrish (R-West Linn), Henne, 84, had gone to court to reclaim his property.

The Hennes are thrilled with the outcome. “This title theft was one of the most devastating events in my life, but getting the house back in my name is one of the most satisfying—and the judgement came on my 84th birthday,” Ron Henne says. “I couldn’t have asked for a better gift.”

As for Parrish, she says lawmakers in both chambers are looking for a way to make it harder to fabricate a title deed. Right now, Parrish says, such schemes can easily “go undetected until it’s too late for the property owner.”