Reichert v. Shuscavage

72 Pa. D. & C. 279, 1950 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 212
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Luzerne County
DecidedFebruary 28, 1950
Docketno. 1
StatusPublished

This text of 72 Pa. D. & C. 279 (Reichert v. Shuscavage) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Luzerne County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Reichert v. Shuscavage, 72 Pa. D. & C. 279, 1950 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 212 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1950).

Opinion

Pinola, J.,

Defendant has filed exceptions to a decree nisi declaring a deed to her to be a forgery.

On April 19, 1948, a deed was recorded purporting to convey property known as 334 Slocum Street, Swoy-erville, from Mary Levitski to her daughter, Mary [280]*280Shuscavage, defendant. It purports to have been signed by mark on February 14, 1948, to have been acknowledged on the same day before John T. Harris, a justice of the peace, and witnessed by Paul Bay nock and Anastasia Levitski, another daughter. The alleged grantor died March 4, 1948.

Defendant filed exceptions to the following findings of fact:

“(2) Mary Levitski was, since 1921, the owner of property situate on and known as 334 Slocum Street, Swoyerville, Pa.
“(10) The actions of the subscribing witness Paul Baynock were unusual and suspicious and not those of a disinterested, truthful witness.
“(11) Mary Levitski did not execute the deed in question by the mark on February 14, 1948.
“(12) Mary Levitski did not acknowledge the deed in question before John T. Harris on February 14, 1948.
“(13) There was no valid deed in existence at the time of the death of Mary Levitski from her to Mary Shuscavage for the property in question.”

To the following conclusions of law:

“(1) The purported execution by Mary Levitski of the deed dated February 14, 1948, was a forgery committed by John T. Harris, Mary Shuscavage, defendant, and others, and was in fraud of plaintiffs’ rights as owners of an undivided interest in and to the premises described in said deed.
“(2) The said deed is a forgery, and the acknowledgment is likewise a forgery.
“(3) Plaintiffs are entitled to have the deed can-celled and set aside.”

And to the following decree nisi:

“Now, November 9, 1949, it is ordered, adjudged and decreed as follows:
[281]*281“(1) That the deed dated February 14, 1948, recorded in Deed Book 979, page 290, purporting to be executed and acknowledged by Mary Levitski is invalid, null and void.
“(2) The Recorder of Deeds of Luzerne County is directed to enter on the margin of the record of the deed a copy of this decree.
“(3) That Mary Shuscavage, defendant, shall not alienate or encumber the property.
“(4) Mary Shuscavage, defendant, shall deliver up the deed for cancellation.
“(5) That Mary Shuscavage, defendant, pay the costs.”

Questions Involved

Defendant urges (a) that plaintiffs did not meet the heavy burden which rested upon them; (b) that plaintiffs were bound by the testimony given by Harris when called as of cross-examination; (c) that the chancellor erred in considering testimony of other questionable acknowledgments by Harris, and (d) that the chancellor erred in considering as substantive evidence the declarations of Harris to grantee’s counsel that the deed had been executed by him two weeks after the death of the alleged grantor.

Discussion

We will consider objections (a) and (c) together.

The guiding principles are clear. There is a presumption, in the absence of proof to the contrary, that a deed was executed and delivered on the day it was acknowledged: Herr et al. v. Bard et al., 355 Pa. 578. In rebutting that presumption, parol evidence may be introduced to show that a fraud was practiced not only in the execution of the deed but in the obtaining of the acknowledgment: Heeter et al. v. Glasgow, 79 Pa. 79.

[282]*282Fraud is not to be presumed without proof, nor upon proof which is slight; it must be established upon satisfactory evidence; it must be sufficiently explicit in its character to fairly rebut the presumption as to the due execution of the deed and the acknowledgment: Cover v. Manaway, 115 Pa. 338.

Our courts give the widest latitude in the uncovering of fraud, and since a signature by mark affords great opportunity for fraud, the chancellor admitted evidence of the two questionable acknowledgments taken by the same justice of the peace, John T. Harris. In the one instance, the date of the deed appears as follows: “FORTY Three.” It is dated April 9, 1943, and the rubber stamp indicates that the commission of the justice expires “January, 1952”. The deed was recorded October 10, 1947, not so long before the deed in this case was drawn. The commission of Harris in effect on the date of the acknowledgment expired on January 1, 1946, and not in January 1952. In the second instance, the date is typewritten, “FORTY” and then follows a blur, indicating without question an erasure of the year. The acknowledgment is typed in a different type, “3rd July, 1940”. An inspection of the paper reveals that the “40” was typed over an erasure. In this case the commission stamp properly indicates expiration “on the first day of January, 1946”. This deed is recorded February 17, 1948. The records of the register of wills office showed that grantor had died in January 1940.

In VanDyke v. Thompson, 1 Harrington 109 (Del.), involving a forged deed, the court allowed defendants to impeach the character of one of the subscribing witnesses, the other being dead. It said:

“That probate is an ex parte proceeding. The doctrine contended for by plaintiff would lead to the worst of consequences. A felon convict, or insane man might go before the prothonotary and prove a deed which [283]*283though forged, might not be invalidated unless you could attack the witness’ character.”

Plaintiff suffered a nonsuit and grantee was arrested and imprisoned on a forgery charge.

However, we need not rely on the evidence of the other acts of Harris. We have read the record carefully, and we are satisfied that plaintiffs have produced sufficient substantial evidence, independent of the other acts, to warrant the decree.

Without going into the details, and without considering the testimony relating to the other acts, we reach the same conclusion as the chancellor — the deed is a fraud and a forgery.

We will next consider objection (d), that the chancellor erred in admitting as substantive evidence the declarations by Harris.

In our opinion, these were properly admitted. In addition to the reasons given by the chancellor in the decree nisi, we believe that his declarations that he drew the deed two weeks after the alleged grantor was dead and that “all we have to do (to sustain the deed) is to put the grantor in my office”, were properly admitted because having been made under circumstances of trustworthiness, they are admissible, first, under an exception to the hearsay rule as declarations concerning the execution of a document; second, as statements by one having the same or common interest as a party-opponent; third, as statements of a co-conspirator; fourth, as statements of a joint tortfeasor, and fifth, because their admission is required to prevent injustice and fraud.

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Bluebook (online)
72 Pa. D. & C. 279, 1950 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 212, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/reichert-v-shuscavage-pactcomplluzern-1950.