A Maryland daughter has claimed that the nurse providing home care to her father, who was battling Parkinson's disease, transferred the deed to his South Carolina property for $5 shortly before his death. Nora Rowland learned of her father Robert Rowland's death and the property transfer on what she believed would be a routine Father's Day visit in June 2024.
Robert Rowland, a 75-year-old resident of Conway, South Carolina, had been receiving visits from his nurse, Sarah Smalls, beginning in March 2024. Weeks later, he was moved to a senior living facility due to his declining health, a move his daughter was unaware of.
Nora Rowland, who resides in Baltimore, Maryland, grew concerned about the significant decrease in communication with her father, which was uncharacteristic. This prompted her to travel approximately 460 miles to visit him. Upon arriving, she noticed a Ring doorbell, an appliance she knew her father had not installed.
Smalls answered the door and informed Rowland of her father's death, along with other undisclosed information. Rowland subsequently entered the house through a window and observed that the interior had been recently painted a bright orange color and adorned with "random photographs." She expressed distress, noting the absence of her father's belongings and questioning the identity of the people in the photographs.
Court documents later revealed that Smalls had been named power of attorney for Robert Rowland a few weeks after he moved into the senior living facility. According to these documents, a quitclaim deed transferred the home's ownership to Smalls for $5 on April 17. Bank records also indicated that money had been wired to the nurse.
Rowland was arrested on trespassing charges, based on the property records that indicated Smalls was the new owner. She stated that she was immediately handcuffed along with her partner as they were leaving the house. The charges were later dismissed, but Rowland remains disturbed by the circumstances of the home's transfer, stating that her father, a kind man, would never have anticipated such a situation.