Chapter 4 - THE RELEASE I NEVER SIGNED
Trevor sat across from me and tried to recover control.
“My financing adviser is handling the refinance. None of this changes that.”
“Then proof of financing should arrive before the deadline.”
“It will.”
“You said that at mediation.”
“The lender requested additional documents.”
“What documents?” Diane asked.
Trevor looked at me instead of answering his mother.
I turned to the final section of the navy folder.
The previous afternoon, Grace had received a copy of the refinance application because my secured interest required formal notice.
The application described Trevor as holding unrestricted ownership.
It stated my reimbursement claim had already been satisfied.
No money had been paid.
No release had been signed.
Beneath a paragraph confirming that I had surrendered the interest appeared a typed name:
Megan Hale.
The signature line below it remained blank.
I placed the page beside the contractor invoices.
“The lender paused the refinance until Trevor provides a release signed by me.”
Diane read the page.
“You told us the closing was almost complete.”
“It is,” Trevor said.
“Not without my signature.”
He gave me a careful look.
“What do you want?”
“Accurate valuation, complete disclosure and the agreement we both signed.”
“You could sign the release now. The lender needs clean title before releasing funds.”
“My adviser proposed escrow. The refinance proceeds would repay my interest at closing.”
“That structure is unnecessarily complicated.”
“It prevents me from releasing $1.24 million before receiving a dollar.”
His phone began ringing on the table.
None of us moved.
After the third ring, it switched to speaker because Trevor had enabled hands-free mode earlier.
A man’s voice filled the room.
“Mr. Hale, this is Paul Brenner from First Crescent Lending. We need an explanation before compliance closes the file.”
Trevor lunged for the phone.
I placed one hand over it first.
“What explanation?” I asked.
The lender hesitated.
“Who typed Ms. Hale’s name onto a release she never signed?”
Diane slowly turned toward her son.
May you like
Vanessa’s face lost color.
Trevor ended the call.
