In Mephis TN a local church was scammed by a "Katrina victim" into buying her a house, that she later sold without having ever moved in!

Jean Phillips, realtor and member of the Church of God in Christ, stands in front of a home in Memphis, Tenn., Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2006. The home had been donated to a New Orleans family displaced by Hurricane Katrina, but the family never moved into the home and soon sold it without the church's approval. Now Phillips can't locate the family. (AP Photo/Greg Campbell)

A church tried to do a good deed from some Katrina victims and was burned in the proccess.

Using a vetting system they decided to buy a house for Joshua and Delores Thompson.

The committee also heard how the family had lost its home and most of its possessions and how the children, a 14-year-old girl and 16-year-old boy, were eager to get back in school. The family said it wanted to resettle in Memphis.

Some time later the couple gave a very ungrateful interview on WHBQ-TV in Memphis.

The house was was bought in Thompson's name. She took possession in February and sold it in September. Property transfer records for the resale list her as unmarried; the papers from the original sale list her as married.

Delores Thompson said, "I really don't like this area. I really didn't, and I didn't know anybody, so that's why I didn't move in and I sold it. The house was given to me. I have the paperwork and everything."

The church has yet to discuss whether they will take legal action against the Thompsons.

Sources:

Danbury News Times On-Line
All Headline News
Temple of Deliverance Church of God in Christ

My view:

This is pretty sad. The members of the church were trying to do a good deed for a family displaced by the effects of Katrina. In the end, they got scammed.

The couple came in begging for a home, sob story and all. They got the church to buy the house for them and only a few months later the couple sold the house and went back to New Orleans!

Though FEMA records did say the couple was displaced there was no record if their home in New Orleans was destroyed or not.

It's people like this that destroy charity.

Because the home was in their name there really is not much the church can do at this point. I can only hope they will learn from this mistake and be more careful in future acts of charity. I don't want them to stop being charitable, just be a little bit wiser when they are being charitable to this level.