Opinion ID: 2625926
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Application of Subscribing Witness Statute to Challenged Deeds

Text: ¶ 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.