Opinion ID: 2625926
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: exclusion of handwriting evidence

Text: ¶ 16 We turn now to the trial court's ruling that evidence of the decedent's handwriting was inadmissible to show forgery where the deeds in question had been acknowledged by a notary. We reverse the trial court's broad ruling that the notaries in this case were all subscribing witnesses.
¶ 17 Section 57-2-10 of the Utah Code establishes a hierarchy of admissible evidence for proving the execution of an instrument affecting real property. Utah Code Ann. § 57-2-10 (2000). It requires that a subscribing witness, if available, testify to establish proof of execution. In the event a subscribing witness is unavailable, it allows the use of handwriting evidence to prove execution. Id. § 57-2-10(2). This hierarchy is reinforced by section 57-2-14, which prohibits handwriting evidence when a subscribing witness is available. Id. § 57-2-14. The order of proof found in section 57-2-10 has been essentially untouched for over 125 years. Compare 1876 Utah Laws 638, with Utah Code Ann. § 57-2-10 (2000). ¶ 18 Despite the stability of sections 57-2-10 and -14, the requirements for a validly executed conveyance of real estate have changed. In 1876, a valid conveyance required the signatures of the grantor or an agent and one or more credible witnesses. 1876 Utah Laws 617. This requirement had disappeared by 1888. 1888 Utah Laws 3916. Although the requirement for a subscribing witness to deeds to real property has disappeared, subscribing witnesses, where present, remain the preferred method of proving due execution of a deed.
¶ 19 The hierarchy of proof favoring the testimony of subscribing witnesses remains in effect and we must enforce it. This is because this court assumes that the legislature, in repealing the requirement that a subscribing witness sign every deed for it to be valid, yet retaining the provision now found in section 57-2-10, was mindful of the retained provision and its related subject matter and wished it to be given effect. See Murray City v. Hall, 663 P.2d 1314, 1318 (Utah 1983) (citing 2A C. Sands, Sutherland Statutory Construction § 51.02 (4th ed.1973) for the proposition that legislatures know of statutes of related subject matter and have them in mind when enacting new statutes). ¶ 20 Accordingly, we hold that when a notary acknowledges the execution of a deed, having personally witnessed that execution, the notary qualifies as a subscribing witness within the meaning of section 57-2-10. We reverse the ruling of the trial court to the extent it prohibited introduction of handwriting evidence on deeds acknowledged by a notary who did not contemporaneously witness the execution of the deed. We remand on those deeds where it is not apparent in the record whether the acknowledging notary personally witnessed the execution of the questioned deed. See infra Part IV.C. ¶ 21 Our holding is in accord with the definition of subscribing witness found in Black's Law Dictionary and with good public policy. A subscribing witness is [o]ne who witnesses the signatures on an instrument and signs at the end of the instrument to that effect. Black's Law Dictionary 1597 (7th ed.1999). Requiring a notary to personally witness the execution of an instrument for her acknowledgment to be given the weight of a subscribing witness's signature reflects both the desire to effectuate, in a modern context, the strong presumption of proof given subscribing witnesses' signatures and the need to guard against the potential for mischief that follows from granting that same presumption to a notarial acknowledgment of a previously executed instrument.
¶ 22 For purposes of today's holding, evaluation of Cazares's argument for the introduction of handwriting evidence to prove forgery of the challenged deeds must begin and end with determining whether the acknowledging notaries of each deed qualify as subscribing witnesses. ¶ 23 Tunson, the notary to both challenged deeds on the Zion Summit property, admitted that her acknowledgments followed a telephonic request by the decedent, not Tunson's presence during execution. Accordingly, evidence of the decedent's handwriting on the December 16, 1996 deeds to the Zion Summit property, if otherwise admissible, cannot be excluded under sections 57-2-10 and -14. ¶ 24 Cazares has challenged four other deeds as forgeries: the November 2, 1994 quitclaim deed and the August 18, 1995 trust deed to the Deer Hollow property, the March 25, 1994 quitclaim deed to the Libby Way property, and the August 16, 1996 quitclaim deed to the Park Crest property. All but the August 18, 1995 deed on the Deer Hollow property were acknowledged by Weir. The trial court made no finding as to whether the three challenged deeds acknowledged by Weir were executed in her presence. As to these three deeds, therefore, we remand for the trial court to make this determination and proceed accordingly. Likewise, no finding was made regarding whether the execution of the August 18, 1995 deed was personally witnessed by Tarci Eastburn, the acknowledging notary; we remand that issue for the trial court's resolution.