Opinion ID: 1508286
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Court of Chancery Sussex County Action Second Deed Void Shearin's Conduct Contemptuous

Text: On December 13, 1993, the Bishop executed another deed (second deed) which had been prepared and notarized by Shearin. This deed was prepared without notice to the Church or the Court of Chancery. The second deed purported to transfer ownership interests in the properties to certain third parties. Shearin recorded the second deed on December 27, 1993, without notice to the Church or the Court of Chancery. In May 1994, at the direction of the Bishop and with Shearin as legal counsel, the Conference filed Civil Action No. 1674. The Conference sought a judicial determination of the ownership of the properties. This was the same issue that the Court of Chancery had already adjudicated in Civil Action No. 12055. In response to this action, the Church requested the Court of Chancery to declare the second deed void, dismiss Civil Action No. 1674, and hold Shearin in contempt for having violated the Court of Chancery's previous final judgment. In July 1995, the Court of Chancery dismissed the action and held that Shearin's conduct was in contempt of its prior final judgment. See Mother African Union First Colored Methodist Protestant Church v. The Conference of African Union First Colored Methodist Protestant Church, Del.Ch., C.A. No. 12055, Jacobs, V.C., 1995 WL 420003 (July 13, 1995) (ORDER) aff'd Conference of African Union First Colored Methodist Protestant Church v. Mother African Union First Colored Methodist Protestant Church, Del.Supr., No. 318, 1995, Veasey, C.J., 1996 WL 554236 (Sep. 23, 1996) (ORDER). The Court of Chancery also determined that the second deed was void ab initio insofar as it purported to transfer any interest in the properties.