LAWTON, Okla. – The City of Lawton has filed seven foreclosure petitions after a series of questionable property transactions involving a nonprofit organization, the Great Plains Improvement Foundation. These properties, which were initially part of a program aimed at providing affordable housing, were sold without the City’s knowledge, leaving taxpayers at risk of losing funds intended to support low-income housing initiatives.
Lawton City Attorney John Andrew provided additional details about the situation, explaining that the City became aware of the issue in June 2024. The Great Plains Improvement Foundation, which had been partnered with the City to manage several low-income and Section 8 housing units funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), sold off the properties without the City’s consent.
“We learned of questionable transactions that took place through the Great Plains Improvement Foundation,” Andrew said. “The properties changed hands, and now Lawton is essentially on the hook for these funds. It will impact our ability to provide low-income housing or housing support to individuals in Lawton.”
Out of the ten properties in question, the City lost seven after being sold by the nonprofit. Although Andrew could not confirm the total number of affordable housing properties owned by the City, he emphasized the significant impact these losses would have on Lawton’s affordable housing efforts.
“Affordable housing is a huge issue,” Andrew noted. “It allows people to improve their homes, and it provides the means to make housing better. This situation makes it harder to continue providing that support to the community.”
In response to the situation, the City filed foreclosure petitions on the seven properties, hoping to recover taxpayer dollars. These actions come after months of discussions with HUD officials. Andrew explained that the City’s best option to recoup the funds was through legal action.
Despite the City being the legal owner of the properties, Andrew pointed out that the sales occurred without their knowledge. An ongoing investigation, led by HUD’s Inspector General and the Oklahoma Attorney General’s office, aims to determine how these transactions were allowed to happen and whether the City can recover the lost funds.
“This investigation will help uncover the reasons behind this,” Andrew said. “We have an idea, but the investigation will provide clarity. Hopefully, it will trigger a process that allows us to recover these funds quickly. If not, it could be a long, drawn-out legal process that might take several years.”
The seven foreclosure petitions name multiple defendants, including the Board of Comanche County Commissioners, Comanche County Treasurer Rhonda Brantley, the Great Plains Improvement Foundation, Liberty National Bank, OnPoint Rentals, LLC, and any occupants of the properties. Each defendant has 20 days to respond to the petitions, after which further legal actions may be pursued.
As the City waits for responses, Andrew remains hopeful that the legal process will allow Lawton to regain control over the affected properties and recover the taxpayer dollars at stake. However, he acknowledged that this case could have far-reaching consequences for the City’s ability to provide future affordable housing support.
“This situation highlights the importance of oversight in managing these types of programs,” Andrew concluded. “We will do everything we can to rectify this and protect the interests of Lawton’s residents.”
Lawton Files Foreclosure Petitions After Questionable Property Sales
