Opinion ID: 2625926
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Deer Hollow Property

Text: ¶ 3 Cazares alleges that signatures of the decedent on deeds to the Deer Hollow property dated November 2, 1994 and August 18, 1995 were forged by or at the direction of Cosby. The November 2, 1994 deed, a quitclaim deed, purported to transfer the property from the decedent to Cosby and the decedent together as joint tenants. Cazares offers a handwriting expert's opinion that the signature of the decedent on the quitclaim deed was not genuine. A deed of trust was apparently contemporaneously executed on November 2, 1994 by both the decedent and Cosby to secure a loan of $420,000 from United Security Financial (USF). Nothing in the complaint challenges this deed. The August 18, 1995 deed of trust was allegedly forged to enable Cosby to borrow $595,000 against the property from another defendant, Chase Manhattan Mortgage Company (Chase Manhattan). A subsequent deed of trust was granted by Cosby on May 5, 1997 to yet another defendant, Headlands Mortgage Company, to secure $168,000 borrowed by Cosby. No forgery is alleged on this deed as it is in the name of Cosby alone, having been executed after the decedent's January 1997 death. Each of the deeds on the Deer Hollow property was stamped with a notary's seal and recorded. ¶ 4 In sum, Cazares alleges that two deeds were forged in connection with the Deer Hollow property: the November 2, 1994 quitclaim deed and the August 18, 1995 trust deed. The challenged November 2, 1994 deed was acknowledged by Linda Weir (Weir), a notary public. The August 18, 1995 deed was acknowledged by Tarci Eastburn (Eastburn), also a notary public. Cazares's complaint seeks to quiet title in the Deer Hollow property against Cosby, Chase Manhattan, Headlands Mortgage Company, and Headlands Home Equity Trust, another defendant.