Chapter 11: The Deed With My Name on It
The following morning, Patricia arrived at my house with two printed property records.
She placed them on the dining table.
"Margaret, this is the current deed for your property.""
I examined it.
My name was listed as the sole owner.
Everything appeared normal.
Then she showed me the second document.
It was a proposed transfer deed.
My name appeared at the top.
Beneath it was the name of a company:
*HARRINGTON PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT LLC.*
I looked up.
"What is this?""
"Someone prepared a document transferring your property to this company.""
My hands went cold.
"Did it go through?""
"No. The county records don't show a completed transfer.""
I released a breath.
"Thank God.""
"But there's a problem.""
Patricia pointed to the signature line.
A signature that looked almost exactly like mine appeared beneath the words Grantor Authorization.
I felt sick.
"Another forgery?""
"It appears so.""
"Who prepared it?""
"We're still investigating. The document was submitted electronically for preliminary review through a title services company.""
I stared at the company name.
"Who owns Harrington Property Development?""
Patricia checked her notes.
"Brooke's father is listed as the registered agent, but Brooke is the managing member.""
I leaned back.
"Richard's company?""
"Apparently.""
I called Richard immediately.
He arrived within thirty minutes.
When Patricia showed him the document, he went pale.
"I've never seen this.""
"Your name is listed as the registered agent," Patricia explained.
Richard shook his head.
"I have several legitimate investments. But I've never authorized this company to receive Margaret's property.""
"Do you know why Brooke would use your name?""
Richard rubbed his forehead.
"She may have been trying to make the transaction look legitimate.""
He looked at me.
"Margaret, I am so sorry.""
I nodded.
For once, I believed him.
Patricia placed another document on the table.
"This is the proposed transfer date.""
I looked at it.
December 29.
Three days away.
"Why that date?""
Richard's face tightened.
"Because the company has a scheduled financing review on December 30.""
Patricia nodded.
"If the property transfer had been completed, Brooke could have presented the house as an available asset during that review.""
I stood and walked toward the window.
Robert had built this house with his own hands.
He'd repaired the deck, painted the bedrooms, and spent three summers turning the backyard into a garden.
It was where we'd raised Ethan.
It was where we'd celebrated his graduation.
It was where Robert had taken his final breath.
And Brooke had tried to put it on the market without my knowledge.
"Can we stop this?"" I asked.
"Yes," Patricia said.
"We've already notified the title company that the transfer is disputed. We'll also place an appropriate fraud alert on the property records and take further legal steps to protect your ownership.""
Richard looked at me.
"There's something else I need to tell you.""
I turned.
"Go ahead.""
"Last night, Brooke came to my house.""
"What did she want?""
"She asked me to sign a statement confirming that you had voluntarily agreed to transfer the property.""
I felt my jaw tighten.
"Did you sign it?""
"Of course not.""
He paused.
"Then she told me something.""
"What?""
"She said that if I didn't cooperate, she'd tell the family that I'd been secretly financing Ethan's company for years.""
I frowned.
"Had you?""
"No. I gave them thirty thousand dollars. Nothing more.""
Richard sat down.
"Margaret, I think Brooke has been building a story around all of us. She wanted everyone to believe the family was wealthier and more financially secure than it really was.""
I thought about the Christmas party.
The champagne fountain.
The expensive decorations.
The imported food.
All those things had been arranged to impress people who might invest in a company that was already failing.
A beautiful house built on borrowed money.
A luxurious party paid for with money that didn't belong to them.
A perfect family image hiding an ugly truth.
"Richard, does Brooke have any legitimate business?""
He looked uncomfortable.
"She has a small consulting company. But its accounts are mixed with Ethan's business expenses.""
Patricia made a note.
"We need to review that company too.""
At that moment, my phone rang.
Brooke.
I answered.
"Hello?""
"Margaret, we need to stop this nonsense.""
Her voice was sharp.
"What nonsense?""
"You know exactly what I'm talking about. My father says you've been involving lawyers and threatening the company.""
"I'm protecting my property.""
"You're destroying Ethan's future.""
"No. I'm refusing to let you take my home.""
She laughed.
"Nobody is taking your home. We simply need the paperwork completed.""
"Without my permission?""
"You're making this unnecessarily difficult.""
I looked at Patricia.
She nodded for me to continue.
"Brooke, did you submit a deed transferring my house to your company?""
Silence.
Then she said, "Ethan handled that.""
I felt a chill.
"Did he?""
"Yes.""
"Did I sign it?""
"You signed the documents you needed to sign.""
"I didn't sign anything.""
Her voice became colder.
"Well, perhaps you should think carefully before accusing your own family of fraud.""
I took a breath.
"Why are you so desperate to get my house?""
She hesitated.
Then she said something that made Richard stand up.
"Because the bank is going to take it anyway.""
"What?""
Brooke laughed nervously.
"Ask Ethan what he used it for.""
The call ended.
I turned toward Patricia.
"Can the bank take my house?""
"Not if you never legally guaranteed their debt and the property transfer was never completed.""
She looked at the document.
"But we need to establish whether anyone has already represented your property as collateral.""
Richard stood.
"I'll call my attorney.""
Patricia shook her head.
"Let me handle the legal requests.""
Then she turned toward me.
"Margaret, there's one thing I want you to understand. Brooke may be bluffing, but she may also have submitted information to a lender that we haven't discovered yet.""
My phone buzzed.
An email notification.
The subject line read:
*URGENT: PROPERTY LIEN NOTICE — COLLINS RESIDENCE.*
I opened it.
There was an attachment from a mortgage servicing company.
My name.
My property address.
And a loan balance I had never seen before.
$320,000.
I felt my breath disappear.
Patricia took the phone from my hand and examined the document.
Then she looked at me.
"Margaret, this is serious.""
"Is it real?""
"The notice appears to relate to a recorded lien. We need to verify the underlying instrument immediately.""
Richard stared at the screen.
"How could they put a lien on her house?""
Patricia looked at the date.
Then she noticed the name of the lender.
Her expression hardened.
"Because someone appears to have represented that they had authority to borrow against it.""
I sank into my chair.
And then I saw the date of the original loan.
May you like
October 14.
The same day someone had forged my signature on the financial guarantee.
