The voicemail ended shortly afterward.
I sat staring at my phone.
My family had been planning to deceive me.
They wanted my ownership removed while leaving me responsible for a mortgage.
And they believed I’d sign anything simply because I was accustomed to helping them.
I saved the recording.
Then I contacted Patricia.
The next day, I sat in her office while she examined the documents.
She confirmed that my name remained on the property deed.
Then I showed her an email Dad had just sent.
He described the attachment as refinancing paperwork.
Patricia opened it.
Her expression hardened.
“Wes, this isn’t a refinancing agreement.”
She turned the screen toward me.
“It’s a quitclaim deed. Signing it would surrender your ownership interest.”
She paused.
“And unless your mortgage obligations were separately addressed, you’d still be liable for the loan.”
I felt sick.
After twenty-six years practicing real estate law, Patricia said she’d encountered plenty of ugly family disputes.
