The offense is a wobbler. A conviction on misdemeanor charges will result in up to one year in jail, a maximum fine of $1,000, or both. A conviction on felony charges results in 16 months, two or three years in jail, a maximum fine of $10,000, or both.
Chapter 32 of the Texas Penal Code defines offenses relating to fraud. “Forgery”, as per § 32.21 of the Texas Penal Code, occurs when a person forges a writing with intent to defraud or harm another.
Whoever commits forgery shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
If a deed has been forged, it is legally invalid, and the rightful property owner has the right to challenge it in court. However, undoing a fraudulent real estate transaction can take time and legal intervention.
Unless one of the enhancements apply, or subsection (e-1) applies, a conviction for Forgery is punished by default as a Class A misdemeanor, with a maximum possible fine under Texas state law of up to $4,000 and jail time of up to one year.
Possible Penalties for Check Forgery In many circumstances, forgery is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine.
Section 37.02 - Perjury (a) A person commits an offense if, with intent to deceive and with knowledge of the statement's meaning: (1) he makes a false statement under oath or swears to the truth of a false statement previously made and the statement is required or authorized by law to be made under oath; or (2) he ...
-A deed by itself is not enough to establish proof of ownership because it contains no proof of the condition of the grantor's title at the time of the conveyance. -In Texas, a certificate of title or title insurance is used as proof of ownership.
Under Texas law, a forged deed is void. However, a deed procured by fraud is voidable rather than void. The legal terms “Void” and “Voidable” sound alike, but they are vastly different. A void instrument passes no title, and is treated as a nullity.