Mental Health in Question: Was the Deed Transfer Valid?

The farmhouse that inspired a 2013 horror film called The Conjuring has attracted visitors to Round Top Road in Burrillville, Rhode Island for years. Then, officials closed the site. There were concerns that the place had become a fire hazard, and the owner was acting strangely.

Meanwhile, an actor decided to buy the famous house. But was the owner capable of transferring a deed? According to her own sister, the homeowner Jacqueline lacks the capacity to sign legal documents because of a mental health condition.

Deed Transfer to Ghost Hunters Actor Challenged

This past December, Ghost Hunters actor Jason Hawes signed paperwork to buy the Conjuring House, and received the deed. It was the second time Hawes received a deed for the home. An October transfer to Hawes had been challenged over whether the notary process was valid.

In January 2026, the current owner’s sister, Utah resident Elizabeth Greenhalgh, was expected to ask the court for a preliminary injunction to stop the sale. But then, Greenhalgh’s lawyer withdrew the motion.

Because Greenhalgh’s case is still on the docket in Providence Superior Court, Hawes has delayed closing.

Greenhalgh asserts:

• Over the period of a year and a half, Jacqueline’s mental health has deteriorated and she is no longer capable of signing legal instruments.

• Jacqueline has been treated at three psychiatric units. Her e-mails and Facebook posts have discussed cannibalism, her own immaculate conception, and many other strange topics.

So, could Hawes have received a valid transfer from Jacqueline in late 2025? Or is the status of the title yet to be determined? The question has been in the news for months. The next hearing, scheduled for April 29, could bring a clearer answer than we have right now.

What’s the Trouble With This Deed Transfer?

It’s complicated. The purported sale of the famously haunted house faces multiple court actions:

• Jacqueline gave a friend power of attorney to sell the home to Hawes, but Jacqueline’s sister is challenging that document. Indeed, the two have filed challenges against each other for the ability to represent Jacqueline.

• Jacqueline’s sister has petitioned a court in Boston to be appointed guardian and conservator of Jacqueline and her assets including the Conjuring House.

• Separately, YouTube personality Elton Castee is trying to force Jacqueline’s company, which holds the Conjuring House, into a receivership. That could result in an auction of any real estate Jacqueline is still deemed to hold.

As yet it’s unknown if the current proceedings could void the deed transfer. The deed has been in legal limbo since December 5, when Jacqueline’s sister sued to halt the sale to Hawes.

In February, Jacqueline got a neutral, court-appointed lawyer to represent her interests.

Can a Deed Be Cancelled If Mental Capacity Is Questioned?

Deed transfers are not easy to challenge. Deeds are presumed valid unless clear and convincing evidence shows otherwise. For a deed that’s been signed, witnessed, delivered, and recorded in the county, the legal presumption says a transfer happened, and can’t be undone.

Someone experiencing age-related decline or another kind of mental impairment may still fully understand the act of a deed transfer. If so, they may transfer their own deed. And yet, if clear evidence of lack of capacity is found, a court could be persuaded to reexamine the transfer. The issue for the court to decide is whether mental health problems removed the ability of the deed holder to form a clear, aware intent.

If you have a relative or friend whose capacity to sign a deed could be questionable, know this. There’s a legal risk when a person who suffers from an impairment transfers a deed. For example, testimony of witnesses to the transaction could contradict medical documentation.    

This is why it’s valuable to get medical evidence of capacity on or around the same day that the transfer is made. Documenting the act can later help to show that the transfer was done in a clear-minded state. 

You might ask the deed holder for permission to make a video of the deed transaction, so their mental state can be documented. A court could accept or reject written and spoken testimony. But a video could be especially strong backing for the validity of the deed.

Caution! It might seem easiest and cheapest to quitclaim the deed into your name before selling on behalf of a loved one who’s unable to carry out the transfer. But a legally authorized representative must sign for an incapacitated owner. Protect the title! Consult a lawyer to ensure someone is authorized, and the transfer is valid.

Legal Tools to Support a Person With Diminished Capacity

A deed holder with diminished capacity may nevertheless transfer a deed. The act is legally valid if they know the worth of their property, know their relatives and loved ones, express their intent clearly, and have knowledge of the results of signing the legal document.

When a deed holder appears to lack that intent or full understanding, a transfer could be challenged.

Concerned for someone close to you who could become impaired?

While still able to carry out business, a person (called the principal) can name a representative (called an agent). A document known as power of attorney (POA) can grant the agent an ability to sell or finance real estate, or do business on the principal’s behalf generally. No court order is needed. It’s the principal’s decision to create a POA. The principal and agent sign it together, with two adult witnesses, and the principal must have it recorded.

If you’re designated to hold power of attorney, you can hire a real estate agent to handle a sale. You can draw up a new deed, have it reviewed by a lawyer, and take it for recording in the county where the home exists.

Once a deed holder loses capacity to make contractual agreements, that deed holder may no longer delegate the power of attorney to an agent. This is where the court comes into play.

Courts appoint and oversee guardians and conservators. These representatives of the incapacitated person receive written permission from the county probate court to handle the business of someone experiencing a brief or extended incapacity.Unlike the person with the POA, a guardian and/or conservator needs court permission to make a deed transfer.

Creating a legal instrument to transfer real estate? Note that forms vary by county and state. 

How Capacity Questions About a Deed Transfer Can Come Back to Haunt a House

In the future, when looking back over a chain of title, a title agent could need information about the cognitive capacity of someone who signed a deed. Past transfers can be examined in quiet title actions if evidence of an improper deed transfer surfaces.  

Unsure what to do in a situation where capacity is in question? Set up a consultation with an attorney or legal services office. It is much better to obtain case-specific advice from a legal professional than let a questionable deed transfer compromise a good title.