It took five months.
Margaret Tran moved fast. The power of attorney was revoked the afternoon she visited. She filed the lawsuit to void the deed in March. Darla’s court-appointed lawyer didn’t even fight it.
On a Tuesday morning in June, I sat in the back row of a courtroom at the Multnomah County Courthouse downtown and watched Judge Helen Fairbanks sign an order declaring the quitclaim deed void.
“The property at 5512 Southwest Larch Street,” she read from the bench, “is restored to its rightful owner, Josephine A. Marsh, free and clear of any lien or encumbrance arising from the fraudulent transfer.”
Josephine was sitting at the front table in a lavender cardigan and pearl earrings, with a cane hooked over the back of her chair. When the judge finished, she turned all the way around in her seat, found me in the back row and gave me a small, sharp nod.
The same nod a teacher gives you when you finally get the answer right.
Two months later, Darla Paulsen pleaded guilty to criminal mistreatment and aggravated theft. She was sentenced to forty-one months in prison and ordered to pay $31,600 in restitution to Josephine, plus the full amount of the home equity loan back to the lender.
Rick Paulsen got thirty-six months. The judge said his job as a notary was to protect people from exactly what he’d done.
The civil case settled in October. Darla and Rick’s assets were seized. The Dodge Ram. The TV. The leather sectional. Two bank accounts. It came to a little over $58,000 when it was all sold, and every dollar went to Josephine.
“It’s not three times,” Margaret told her, apologizing.
“It’s enough,” Josephine said. “It’s more than enough.”
And Curtis?
Curtis Marsh quit his overnight job at the distribution center in March. He found a day job driving a delivery route for a commercial bakery. Six a.m. to two p.m. Less money. A lot less.
But it meant he was standing on the sidewalk on Cedar Street at 3:15 every afternoon when Eli came out of school.
He took the twelve-week parenting class DHS asked him to take. Every Tuesday night in a church basement in Tigard. He never missed one. Nadia told me he was the only father in the class who took notes.
He sold his own truck to pay Margaret Tran’s retainer. $3,500. Josephine tried to pay him back out of the restitution money. He refused.
“Grandma,” he said. “I owe you a lot more than a truck.”
DHS closed Eli’s case in September. Nadia sent me a text message. Just three words.
“He’s home. Thanks.”
Lila Hart is a dedicated Digital Archivist and Research Specialist with a keen eye for preserving and curating meaningful content. At TheArchivists, she specializes in organizing and managing digital archives, ensuring that valuable stories and historical moments are accessible for generations to come.
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