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SOUTHEAST TEXAS RECORD

Friday, March 29, 2024

Suit claims residents conned into settlement

Two people claim three Jefferson County residents conned them into settling into an agreement for land that the residents did not own in an attempt to settle a debt.

Terry Daniels and Janet Daniels Houston claim they sued defendants Gary Lee and Thomas Sitton in December 2010 for breach of contract and fraud. Following the lawsuit, the two parties reached an agreement in which the defendants promised to put a lien on a Mississippi property and to pay the plaintiffs $250,000, plus $1,149,430 within six months, according to the current complaint filed June 4 in Jefferson County District Court.

On Feb. 22, defendants Gary Lee and Joyce Skains Sitton executed a land deed of trust to the plaintiffs in an attempt to fulfill their obligation under the agreement, the suit states. However, the defendants failed to reveal that they had already conveyed the same property to defendant Sitton Commercial Properties. In effect, the lien provided to the plaintiffs is invalid, the complaint says.

In addition, instead of providing the $250,000 to the plaintiffs, the defendants defaulted on that judgment, the plaintiffs claim.

The plaintiffs allege breach of contract, fraud, fraud in a real estate transaction and fraudulent transfer against the defendants.

They are seeking a judgment in excess of the minimum jurisdictional limits of Jefferson County District Court, plus pre-judgment interest, attorney's fees, exemplary damages, costs, post-judgment interest and other relief the court deems just.

Michael D. Matthews of Griffin and Matthews in Beaumont will be representing them.

The case has been assigned to Judge Donald Floyd, 172nd District Court.

Case No. E192-528

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