Chapter 5 - Seven Pages of Poison
Leah spread Marcus's proposal across her desk while I sat opposite her, drinking coffee I was too nervous to taste.
“Page two gives Marissa the right to manage the rental,” she said.
“Page four authorizes her parents to occupy it.
Page five makes you responsible for their maintenance costs.”
“And page seven?” I asked.
Leah turned it around.
“If you refuse the transfer, it says you agree to pay Diane fifteen hundred dollars every month.”
I stared at the neat black lettering.
They hadn't asked me for help.
They had written a menu of ways to take from me.
“Can they enforce it?”
“Not without your agreement.
But I want you to understand something.
Someone put serious effort into designing this.”
Leah showed me a second document attached to the email.
It was labeled authorization for property-related decisions.
“Did you sign this?”
“No.”
“Then we need to preserve the original email and everything attached.”
She helped me update my estate documents, revoke old permissions that were no longer appropriate, and alert the property manager not to accept instructions from anyone but me and the law office.
We also discussed a more permanent decision I had been considering since Harold's death.
I wanted the Alder Lane property to provide stable housing long after I was gone.
Leah was careful.
“If you transfer it to an irrevocable charitable housing trust, you give up ownership and control.
It must be your decision, not a reaction to anyone's threats.”
I went home and thought for three nights.
Then I came back and said yes.
An independent trustee would manage the property, honor Denise's lease, and use its proceeds for affordable local housing.
I had savings and a pension.
I could afford to make a gift.
On the morning of the dinner, the signed deed was recorded.
I was no longer the owner Marcus could pressure.
But when Leah requested an updated title report that afternoon, an unfamiliar pending filing appeared.
May you like
Someone had tried to submit another deed.
It was dated two days before mine.
