PROVIDENCE — A Rhode Island judge overseeing one of several lawsuits tied to the Burrillville property known as the "Conjuring House" said the web of litigation is chaotic and stopped a bid by television personality Jason Hawes to force a mortgage-holder to disclose how much is owed on the house.
At a hearing Sept. 1, Judge Melissa E. Darigan said there are too many unresolved issues across at least five related court matters to grant Hawes’ request. The controversies center on who actually owns the property and which entity — if any — holds the mortgage on the home that has drawn national attention.
Judge: too many open questions
Hawes produced a signed and notarized deed dated Dec. 21 in which Jacqueline Nuñez purportedly sold the Burrillville house to him for $1.3 million. That deed has been recorded in Burrillville’s land records, but Darigan noted no judge has yet ruled that Hawes holds title.
Complicating matters, a company tied to YouTuber Elton Castee — Summit & Stone LLC — is asserting it owns the mortgage on the property after an alleged transfer of debt from Needham Bank. Needham previously loaned Nuñez about $1.22 million in 2022, according to court filings.
But Needham says it discharged the mortgage in 2025, which has created a legal conflict: Summit & Stone seeks court permission to nullify that discharge so the company’s claimed purchase of the debt could be confirmed. A ruling either way would determine whether Summit & Stone actually holds the mortgage that might be paid off if Hawes were to close on his recorded deed.
“This case and all these related cases are a mess,” Judge Melissa E. Darigan said from the bench.
Why Hawes’ request was denied
Hawes asked the court to compel Summit & Stone to state how much is owed under the mortgage so he could pay it and effectuate a closing. Darigan declined, explaining the broader uncertainties — including whether Hawes has legal title and whether Summit & Stone is a legitimate mortgagee — made such relief premature.
Her decision leaves unanswered how the competing documents and filings will be reconciled and which court will ultimately resolve title, mortgage ownership and any associated claims.
Current legal posture and unresolved issues
- At least five separate, related cases are pending that touch on ownership, mortgage status and challenges to recorded actions.
- Hawes holds a recorded deed from Dec. 21 that purports to transfer the property to him for $1.3 million, but no court has declared him the legal owner.
- Needham Bank asserts it originally loaned Nuñez roughly $1.22 million and later transferred that debt to Summit & Stone; Needham also says it discharged the mortgage in 2025, an act Summit & Stone seeks to undo in court.
The factual disputes now require the court to untangle recorded documents, transfers of debt and competing claims to both the deed and the mortgage. Until those core questions are settled, judges have been reluctant to grant piecemeal relief that could preempt determinations in other related cases.
Background on the property litigation
The Burrillville house, locally dubbed the Conjuring House because of its national profile through media attention, has been the subject of disputes involving multiple parties, recorded deeds, and contested loan documents. Those overlapping claims have produced a complex procedural landscape in Rhode Island courts.
Darigan’s remark that the cases are “a mess” reflects the practical difficulty courts face when separate actions raise interlocking questions about title, mortgages and recorded instruments. Judges typically seek to avoid conflicting rulings that would exacerbate, rather than resolve, title turmoil.
| Document or claim | Party | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Recorded deed (Dec. 21) | Jason Hawes / Jacqueline Nuñez | Recorded; title not judicially declared |
| Original mortgage (2022) | Needham Bank (loan ~ $1.22M) | Bank says it discharged mortgage in 2025 |
| Alleged mortgage transferee | Summit & Stone LLC | Seeking nullification of discharge to confirm transfer |
For now, the court’s refusal to compel a payoff figure means Hawes cannot immediately pay off any alleged mortgage and close based on his recorded deed. The matter will proceed in multiple dockets as judges and lawyers seek to determine which documents and transactions are legally valid.
As the litigation continues, the status of title and the mortgage remains unsettled — and more hearings are likely as the parties press separate claims across the related cases.
Reporting for this article relied on court remarks and filings presented during the Sept. 1 hearing.
