[null, null, {"document_url": "http://king28.com/news/mesa-real-estate-agent-heads-to-jail-for-shorter-sale-that-netted-his-parents-a-income-azcentral-com/", "unformatted_src": "https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/07a229121f852950804604e3d0b68519c59b0e35/c=13-0-463-600&r=537&c=0-0-534-712/local/-/media/2018/02/12/Phoenix/Phoenix/636540542831981999-Thorton.jpg", "src": "https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/07a229121f852950804604e3d0b68519c59b0e35/c=13-0-463-600&r=537&c=0-0-534-712/local/-/media/2018/02/12/Phoenix/Phoenix/636540542831981999-Thorton.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Thorton", "alt_text": "James Thorton"}, null]
{"real estate":{"1534899278":{"keyword":"real estate","mr":"","a":"1534899278","t":"The Digital Real Estate Agent: Building The Brand ","d":"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Digital-Real-Estate-Agent-Building\/dp\/1534899278?SubscriptionId=AKIAJHXLUR5GHMG3FJLA&tag=bdm03-20&linkCode=sp1&camp=2025&creativ","s":"http:\/\/ecx.images-amazon.com\/images\/I\/41AqCV1WECL._SL75_.jpg","l":"$12.99","o":"$12.99","b":"Paperback"}},"property":{"1422498735":{"keyword":"property","mr":"","a":"1422498735","t":"Understanding Property Law","d":"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Understanding-Property-Law-John-Sprankling\/dp\/1422498735?SubscriptionId=AKIAJHXLUR5GHMG3FJLA&tag=bdm03-20&linkCode=sp1&camp=2025","s":"http:\/\/ecx.images-amazon.com\/images\/I\/41Q%2BBYSmFFL._SL75_.jpg","l":"$49.00","o":"$25.00","b":"Paperback"}}}{"link_color":"#E47911","link_target":"_blank","link_maxreplace":2,"find_distinct_words":"no","tooltip_max_height":300,"tooltip_margin_left":5,"tooltip_margin_top":15,"country":"{\"key\":\"com\",\"website\":\".com\",\"affID\":\"bdm03-20\"}"} Did you know householders associations in Arizona can foreclose on houses? This week, azcentral Rewind takes a glance at Arizona’s background with HOAs and why they have so considerably electric power. Previous Mesa real estate agent James Thorton has been identified responsible of fraud in relationship with a shorter sale.(Picture: Arizona Lawyer General’s Business)

Tale Highlights

A Mesa real estate agent has been identified responsible of fraud and theft from a shorter-sale deal that netted his parents a hefty income.

James Thorton, previously with Desert Sunrise Realty, is going through 3 to extra than twelve yrs in jail for defrauding two banks in a property sale at the conclude of the real estate crash, according to the Arizona Lawyer General’s Business.

In 2012, Thornton experienced the listing on a Mesa property that the owner was going through foreclosures on. Thornton offered the residence to his parent’s LLC for $580,000, when there experienced been other gives as significant as $870,000.

The two banks approved the deal to Thornton’s parents simply because they weren’t conscious of the better priced gives, according to the Lawyer General’s Business.

Inside days of their acquire, Thornton then outlined the property for $1.1 million. He offered it two months later on for $1.05 million in cash.

Thornton’s real estate license turned inactive on Feb. 9, according to the Arizona Department of Real Estate. He couldn’t be achieved for remark.

Michael Ludlow, the broker at Desert Sunrise Realty, said Thornton is no extended employed by the company but that he testified on Thornton’s behalf.

“I was not the broker of the agency then, but I imagine the legal professional common was on a witch hunt with this investigation,” he said.

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Thornton designed wrong statements to the banks, opportunity potential buyers and other real estate brokers during the shorter sale to his parents, according to the condition prosecutor.

To discourage potential buyers and devalue the property during the shorter sale procedure, Thornton misrepresented the amount of rooms and loos in the property, fabricated a code violation to an appraiser, and eradicated significant-conclude, custom appliances from the property, according to the Lawyer General’s Business.

Locate your home’s real value!

Short gross sales allow householders to prevent foreclosures if they cannot afford to pay for their home finance loan and owe extra than their residence is really worth. But the homeowner’s creditors should approve the deal and be certain they are obtaining the highest provide.

The Lawyer General’s Business said Thornton also falsely told the $1.05 million cash consumer that the explanation there was a significant hole involving his parents’ acquire price tag and the new record price tag of $1.1 million was that there experienced been a “lien paid outside of escrow.”

A jury identified Thornton responsible late past week. His sentencing is scheduled for March sixteen.

