{"id":451276,"date":"2025-12-16T16:44:13","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T16:44:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/451276\/"},"modified":"2025-12-16T16:44:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T16:44:13","slug":"city-housing-administrator-signed-for-dead-homeowner-other-employees-altered-records-audit-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/451276\/","title":{"rendered":"City housing administrator signed for dead homeowner; other employees altered records, audit finds"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN ANTONIO<\/strong> \u2013 A City of San Antonio audit described its Neighborhood & Housing Services Department as having an environment vulnerable to fraud, waste and abuse, records obtained by KSAT Investigates<\/a> show. <\/p>\n

The 21-page audit, completed a year ago this week, stated that a lack of oversight within the agency caused ineffective and inefficient management of its home improvement programs. <\/p>\n

The public document was included in a trove of records obtained by KSAT Investigates earlier this year.<\/p>\n

Multiple investigations by the city also revealed questionable actions by employees of NHSD, which runs several renovation programs funded by taxpayers, housing bond money and federal grants. <\/p>\n

KSAT Investigates<\/p>\n

Hard-hitting journalism from the KSAT Investigates team delivered straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n

Housing administrator signed work order in place of dead homeowner, causing confusion<\/p>\n

In early 2024, a change order for additional work was filed for a home on Vickers Avenue undergoing city-funded minor repairs.<\/p>\n

But the signature that appeared on the homeowner\u2019s signature line was that of then-public housing administrator Ann Eaton. <\/p>\n

The form notes that the home\u2019s owner had died. <\/p>\n

Eaton\u2019s decision to sign in place of the deceased owner caused confusion within the city attorney\u2019s office about who was financially responsible for the additional work: NHSD or the man\u2019s heirs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout any written approval from the heirs to the home, the heirs would be justified in arguing that they are not responsible for any additional contractual amount incurred via the change order as the change order was not previously approved by the original homeowner or the heirs to the estate,\u201d a summary of the city\u2019s subsequent investigation states.<\/p>\n

Reached for comment via telephone, the son of the deceased homeowner told KSAT he was not consulted about the additional work and had not signed any paperwork for it. <\/p>\n

Then-public housing administrator Ann Eaton signed a work change order in place of a homeowner who had died, internal records show. (KSAT)<\/p>\n

Eaton did not respond to requests from KSAT seeking comment for this story.<\/p>\n

She resigned from the city months after this incident, while under investigation<\/a> for getting discounted foundation work on her personal residence from a city contractor.<\/p>\n

During an interview with KSAT, NHSD Director Veronica Garcia declined to say whether Eaton is eligible for rehire.<\/p>\n

Garcia answered questions about the audit\u2019s findings and other investigations conducted by the city regarding NHSD staff, but she repeatedly declined to address whether disciplinary action resulted from those probes.<\/p>\n

A city notary admitted notarizing a document without the pertinent records \u2014 recreating a page that contained his signature and notary stamp \u2014 during a minor home repair on a residence in the 2900 block of Michael Brian, files show.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis decision was made because of time and wanting to push things through,\u201d the notary wrote in a signed statement in July 2024 that was included in the city\u2019s investigation of the incident.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdditionally, under the direction of Ann (Eaton), I have also had to go to homeowner\u2019s residences to obtain signatures after project is complete. This means that there was not a signature in place before a particular change order work was done at a home. This is not the policy we are expected to follow,\u201d the notary wrote in the same signed statement.<\/p>\n

After questions were raised about the paperwork for repairs done at a property in the 200 block of Mayfield Boulevard, an NHSD special projects manager admitted to altering dates on some records with the owners\u2019 knowledge.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, I would not do that because the records need to be accurate,\u201d the manager wrote in a signed statement in July 2024.<\/p>\n

An investigation found an NHSD employee altered dates on paperwork for home repairs on Mayfield Blvd. without the owners’ knowledge. (KSAT)<\/p>\n

The audit concluded that some NHSD home improvement projects were approved despite missing required eligibility documentation, denial letters were created during the audit and backdated, and work change orders were executed without obtaining prior approval.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany of these items were process related. Employees did not personally benefit from their actions, there was no financial harm to the city or to the homeowner from actions,\u201d Garcia said.<\/p>\n

NHSD Director Veronica Garcia. (KSAT)<\/p>\n

She said after the audit results were released, NHSD moved to strengthen its policies and improve program oversight.<\/p>\n

The agency instituted staff retraining and developed a quality assurance process, the audit states. <\/p>\n

Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Read also:<\/b><\/p>\n