The existence of a large number of properties with legal disputes in Zacatecas has opened the door to a new criminal phenomenon: the illegal appropriation of real estate through falsified documents, a problem that the State Attorney General’s Office (FGJE) has been investigating since 2022.
“There are bad people who organize themselves to commit crimes, and taking advantage of the situation regarding abandoned homes, these people began to forge notarial seals and notary signatures in an attempt to seize these properties,” explained Jaime Arturo Casas Madero, president of the Zacatecas College of Public Notaries.
According to INEGI (the National Institute of Statistics and Geography), Zacatecas leads the nation in the percentage of unoccupied private homes, with 20.23%, meaning that more than 100,000 properties remain vacant out of more than 550,000 homes.
During Judith Guerrero’s mayoral administration, approximately one hundred homes with significant outstanding property taxes were identified in the Historic Center. The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) has documented 144 homes at risk of collapse, more than 50% of which are subject to intestate succession proceedings.
According to the Civil Code for the State of Zacatecas, there is a category of “vacant property,” meaning property without a known or certain owner. Although the legislation allows the state or municipality to claim these properties, this mechanism has not yet been applied.
“On my end, there are no properties, no properties that my administration is currently acquiring, but if there are, I would like to know the location, the plot of land, the house, the place,” stated the mayor of Zacatecas, Miguel Ángel Varela Pinedo.
In this context, a criminal network dedicated to falsifying notarial documents is suspected. A criminal complaint was filed in 2022, but the investigation remained inactive.
“There is a complaint filed in Zacatecas in 2022. It was shelved for years, but it is now under the supervision of the Investigating Prosecutor. Of course, it is an issue we must review very thoroughly. It could even involve money laundering or operations with illicit funds,” explained Attorney General Paul Camacho Osnaya.
The Attorney General confirmed that this is the only case currently underway in Zacatecas, but there are five other complaints filed in the states of Hidalgo, Aguascalientes, and Jalisco.
The scheme used by criminal groups involves identifying abandoned properties, falsifying documents and notarial seals—often from notaries in other states—and then registering the properties in their own names. Authorities urged property owners with irregularities to review their documentation and remain vigilant.
Source: meganoticias
