The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-12-11
WOMAN LAND SHARK
WIDOW" STARTED WITH
SH0ESTRlNG.
Mrs, Jafin- steubenhaus's Realty Deals
Invalidated Because She Married and
Had Secured No Legal Separation.

JERSEY CITY, Dec. n.-sepsrating
from her husband by agreement. and be-
llevlng that this agreement constituted a
divorce, Mrs. Nettie Jafln. a handsome
woman. So years old, W years ago de-
cided to operate in Jersey City real estate
under the name Of Nettie S~teubeuhaus,
widow of Jacob Steubenhaus. Starting
with a shoestring, Mrs. Jafin handled in
all over 500, 600 worth of Jersey City real
estate. and In the handling OF IL she
turned the real estate law upside down,
and for a time stood a title guarantee
company, a building and loan association
and three firms of lawyers on their heads
to say nothing of compilcating something
like four titles to valuable pieces Of prop-
erty.
Mrs. Jaf1n lives at 81 Paramount avenue.
Some ten years ago she was known as
Nettie Steubenhaus. wife OF Jacob Steu-
benhaus, and was called one of the pref
test girls in Jersey City. But Jacob died
In Christ Hospital, and on January 10,
1902, she became the wife Of William Jaifin,
also OF Jersey City. According to papers
now on file the two never lived
together. and, shortly after they
were married. separated under an
agreement. That agreement Mrs
Jafin assumed to have the power OF Q
divorce, and with the nice little smile that
has made her known in most OF the law
offices OF Jersey City. she promptly styled
herself a widow o~gain-not OF William
ia fin, but Of Jacob S~teubenhaus,
Three years later Mrs. Jafin-Steubenhans
might have had some money, but II she
had. even the lawyers who later did work
for her did not know il. About that time
Owen sullivan, an aged man with an ONCE
In the Davidson building, Jersey City, who
is said TO know a little about roai estate,
told Mrs. Jaffin~-S teubenhaus that there
was a house on Grand street, Jersey CITY,
that was on the market, and that It was
a good investment. With no money, the
woman smiled, looked at the property.
smiled again. took an option, and then
sold the option for $500.
At the start she did business
through the firm OF Hudspeth q
In charge OF Charles Ostrom. Fol-
lowing the Grand street deal Mrs.
Jaf1n-Steubenhaus bought the property at
81, Al, 43, 45 and 40 Paramount avenue,
Jersey City. She paid $21,500 for the propr
erty, or at least bought 1t on an agreas-
ment to pay that much. Directly after
ward she took her little smile around to
the Business Mems Building and Loan AS
! ISOLATION and secured a loan of 10000 on
the property. The mortgage was filed in
the registers office on May Q, 1906. -Four
months later she painted the house and
| then took her smile around to the associ-
alton again. On the strength of the paint7
ing che got 5000 more, the mortgage be-
Ing filed on September 10, 1906.
From that time on the woman and her
smile dealt actively in real estate. One
of those who loaned her money on her
holdings WAS the Rev. Spencer NJ. Rice,
a retired clergyman Of this city. In all,
| Mrs. Observation-Disclosures handled some-
thing like $10o,o0 worth Of property, and
i 4. L. no1 k1Vl@ ~.
corning the properties she gave her name
as Mrs. Steubenhaus, widow.
When the first piece Of property she
handled outright came into the Office OF
Hudspeth & Carey, Charles Ostronn, doing
the real estate work, did not pass on the
title concerning Mrs. afln-Stubenhaus's
widowhood until he had examined the hos
pital records showing Jacob S~teubenhaus's
death. The woman denied she had ever
married a second time. Because she did
nave a husband living. every deed,
mortgage or bond was in~validated and the
title guarantees that had been given by
such concerns as the New Jersey Title
Guarantee and Trust Company, and the
law firms of Collins & Corbin, Hudspeth
& Carey, and Wenner e. Ostron, were not
/ worth the paper they were written on.
And those two mortgages of $4,000 given
by the Business Mems Building and Loan
Association, were practically IN the same
class.
About three months ago, Mr.. Ostrom,
who is now the junior member Of the law
firm of Wenner & Ostrom, was sitting in
his office, when a man Wake IN.
My name Is William Jaffin,' he said,
Il want 10 get a dovirce from my Wife
Nettie Jafin."
What grounds?' asked Mr.. Ostrom.
"Desertion," was the reply. She was
married once before and her name then
was Nettie Steupenhaus."