A daughter is challenging the transfer of her father’s Conway home deed to his nurse, alleging the transaction occurred weeks before his death without her knowledge. Nora Rowland, who lives in Maryland, said she became concerned after not hearing from her 75-year-old father, Robert, who had Parkinson’s and a brain injury, around Father’s Day in 2024.
Rowland traveled from Baltimore to Conway to check on her father. Upon arrival, she discovered the front door of his home had been changed and a Ring doorbell camera installed. When she pressed the doorbell, nurse Sarah Smalls, who had been caring for Robert through Griswold Home Care since March 2024, answered through the camera and informed Rowland that her father had died three days prior. Rowland entered the home through an unlocked window and observed significant changes, including new photographs and brightly painted walls, suggesting another family had moved in.
When Smalls returned, Rowland said Smalls accused her of breaking in and called Conway police. Officers arrived and, according to Rowland, Smalls presented a deed showing the house in Smalls’ name, leading to Rowland and her partner being handcuffed. Rowland stated that the criminal charges against her were later dismissed.
A neighbor told officers he had been worried for weeks, observing Smalls moving furniture out of Robert’s home and noting that Robert was not mentally sound enough to resist being persuaded into things. Documents provided by Rowland indicate that in March 2024, Smalls began caring for Robert. By the end of that month, he was moved to a senior living facility. In April, Smalls was named Robert’s power of attorney, and on April 17, a quitclaim deed transferred his Conway home to her for five dollars. Bank statements also show money transfers from Robert’s account to Smalls, some occurring after his death.
Horry County’s Registrar of Deeds, Marion Foxworth III, stated that his office records deeds if they meet South Carolina’s basic legal requirements, without investigating motives or fairness. Foxworth noted that deed theft is uncommon in the county and has decreased since real estate professionals enhanced training to verify deed owners. The county also implemented a free alert tool last year for notifications when documents are filed in a person’s name. Conway police are investigating the matter. Rowland expressed concern that her vulnerable father was taken advantage of and worries about other susceptible individuals.
