A Dallas family fighting to save their home of nearly 30 years has secured a temporary reprieve after posting a $10,000 bond to delay eviction proceedings until June 2026. The Mendoza family alleges their Southeast Dallas home was sold through deed fraud committed by Martin Mendoza Jr., the father’s son from a previous relationship.
The case highlights the increasing number of property fraud cases in Texas, where homeowners can lose properties through forged signatures and fraudulent deed transfers. For the Mendozas, the financial and emotional toll continues as they fight to reclaim their home.
According to Dallas County court filings, the property title transferred to Martin Mendoza Jr. in December 2024, then to Duke Real Estate & Asset Management, and later to Konikoff Connection LLC in May. The family discovered the alleged fraud that same month and has lived in fear of eviction since.
“They’re accusing [my father] of signing this paperwork,” said Cristo Mendoza, the family’s adult son leading the legal fight, according to the Dallas Observer. “He’s calling [the courts] stupid. How is he going to give his house away for nothing? A house where he lives, where he has all his stuff, it just doesn’t make sense.”
The Mendozas filed criminal charges against Junior with the county sheriff’s office in September. Their lawyer secured a temporary injunction in October, but the victory came at a steep price—the required $10,000 bond on top of mounting legal fees.
“My dad feels like he’s being accused of this, and now my dad has to prove that he didn’t sign this paperwork,” Cristo explained. “It’s costing him time and money.”
The temporary injunction marked a turning point for the family’s approach to the case. “[My father] used to say, ‘I just want the house back. That’s it. They can keep their money,'” Cristo said. “But now he’s saying he wants to take them for everything.”
Martin Mendoza Jr. remains elusive despite attempts to serve him legal papers. His mother in Fort Worth told the family he recently appeared at her door seeking to use her address for his parole officer, though he reportedly lives in Irving.
Josh Duke, owner of Duke Realty & Asset Management, maintains his company’s innocence in the matter. He claims to flip approximately 100 properties annually, typically owning them for only days before transferring deeds to third parties.
“All of us are going to potentially pay the consequences for this one person who actually committed, allegedly, that fraud,” Duke said. “The courts will decide that, but if that’s true, then I got scammed, and then the other buyer that I sold it to also got scammed. One of us is going to pay the consequence of that.”
A witness for Konikoff Connection testified at the recent hearing that the company planned to renovate the house for rental at $1,500 monthly. The Mendozas view this as adding insult to injury as they fight for their family home.
The financial strain has taken its toll on Martin Mendoza Sr., according to his son. “With the amount of money he had to pull from his bank account, he has not been himself,” Cristo said. “He is angry.”
The family now faces an eight-month wait until their next court date, uncertain whether eviction could resume before then. Their case underscores the vulnerability of homeowners to deed fraud — and the costly, lengthy process of reclaiming property through the courts.