Alva Review-Courier -

A Woodward man has been charged with placing a false or forged lien on property in Alva.

On Nov. 23, the Woods County District Attorney’s Office requested an investigation into a possible fraudulent lien placed on a residence for repairs, prior to the sale of the home. The residence is located at 1804 Locust St. in Alva. The mechanic’s lien on this property was filed in the county clerk’s office on Nov. 9 and signed by Timothy David Cramer.

Woods County Deputy David Cummings was advised that Brenda Hood with Schuessler Insurance and Real Estate had paperwork related to the lien. He contacted Hood who said she would gather the paperwork and give it to him. According to Hood, the lien was placed right at or near closing for $3,000. This lien was paid by the buyer, Jennifer Perez, once the lien was discovered so the sale went through and was not held up because of the lien. Hood further explained the lien was placed by Timothy David Cramer who provided two invoices.

According to one of the invoices, Cramer claimed work completed on Oct. 4 cleaning the backyard and trash in the gully and cleaning the inside of the residence. Cramer also wrote work done in the kitchen and both bathrooms and a fuse panel. The amount owed on this invoice was for $2,300 and was to Mike Lawrence. Both Lawrence and Perez later told Cummings they did the cleaning on the property and did not have it hired out.

A second invoice provided by Cramer was for work allegedly done on Oct. 4 that included removing trash, pest treatment and relocating firewood and termite treatment. The amount owed on this invoice was for $700 and was to “Home owner/Julie/Lawrence.”

Hood said the termite treatment was blatantly false as Miles Termite and Pest Control of Enid conducted an inspection requested by Perez’s mortgage company. The termite inspection was conducted on Oct. 13, according to paperwork Hood provided, which was approximately one week after Cramer’s alleged invoices, indicating the termite issue was not known at the time of Cramer’s alleged work.

Hood said she did not know who Cramer was and did not hire him. She further said the only other work needed was GFI outlet work which Northwest Electric of Alva did. She reported no issues with any of the bathrooms as claimed by Cramer. Cummings obtained Northwest Electric’s invoice dated Oct. 19, 15 days after Cramer allegedly performed electrical work. According to the invoice a GFI receptacle was installed, and the invoice was paid by Perez. According to Northwest Electric, no work on the fuse box or other electrical was required or requested.

On Dec. 2, Cummings attempted to contact Lawrence. On Dec. 5, Lawrence returned his call. He said he did not know who Cramer was, and he did not hire him to do any work on the property. Lawrence said he looked over the lien at closing and believed every bit of the work was a false claim and was as surprised as everyone to find the lien at closing.

Also on Dec. 2 Cummings contacted Perez who explained she had a conversation with a coworker’s friend regarding firewood removal. This individual was identified as Caleb Hackler. She said Hackler agreed to remove the firewood for her and there was never an agreement on any kind of payment. Perez said she believed he was taking the firewood to use. Perez said she did not know Cramer and had never heard of him until the lien was found on the property she was buying. She said her boss helped her by paying the lien so she could continue with the purchase of the house. Cummings later received a receipt for payment from the county clerk’s office for the amount of $3,750 to release the lien and complete the sale of the residence. The additional $750 was for filing fees.

Perez said she looked over the invoices provided by Cramer and said it was all false. She further said the cleaning inside and outside he claimed was inaccurate and not done.

On Dec. 6, Deputy Cummings spoke with Hackler via phone. Hackler explained he and Cramer were old friends and Cramer found out through Hackler that Perez was buying a house. Cramer told of having to deal with a lien when he sold his house in Oklahoma City. Cramer told him he could be “scandalous” if he turned in a lien against the property Perez was attempting to buy. Cummings asked if the conversation was in text or verbal, and he said both. He said he would look up the text and get it to Cummings.

Cummings asked if Cramer was hired by Lawrence, Perez or the real estate company, and he said no. Cramer had been on the property at one point though and they were not there as hired labor.

On Dec. 12, Cummings attempted to contract Cramer by phone to arrange an interview. No one answered, a voicemail was left, and no callback was received.

On Dec. 12 Hacker came into the Woods County Sheriff’s Office where Cummings interviewed him. He explained several weeks before the sale of the residence, he and Cramer were speaking in person and Cramer explained the process for placing a lien. A week prior to the sale, while they were moving the woodpile on the property, Cramer told Hackler he was still thinking about placing a lien on the property. Cramer later texted Hackler asking him if he knew who the closing company would be, but Hackler said he did not provide that information nor wanted anything to do with it.

Cummings asked Hackler if he or Cramer were ever hired to do any work on the property, and he said no. He said that he had been dating Perez since August and he moved the woodpile for her without any payment. Hackler said Cramer told him he would give him part of the money if it went through, but Hackler said he refused to be a part of it.

On Dec. 16, Cummings again attempted to call Cramer. He received no answer and no callback.

To date Cramer has not received money from placing the lien. The process is awaiting a civil court date to determine if money will be paid to Cramer.

On Dec. 22 in Woods County, Timothy David Cramer, 42, of Woodward, was charged with filing a false or forged instrument, a felony. A warrant has been issued.