The Twelve Tribes of Israel v. Barnum CA2/4
Defendant and appellant Katrina Barnum appeals a judgment in favor of plaintiff and respondent, The Twelve Tribes of Israel, U.S.A., Inc. (the Tribe) for promissory fraud and breach of an oral settlement agreement. The instant action arose out of promises Barnum made to the Tribe, while selling a property owned by her husband, Wilhelm Grafrath, and used by the Tribe as its headquarters. Grafrath, the leader of the Tribe, purchased the property in 1997, taking title in his own name, and Barnum quitclaimed any interest in the property. The Tribe subsequently paid the mortgage payments and used the property as its headquarters, believing that once the mortgage was paid off Grafrath would transfer title to the Twelve Tribes organization.
In 2006, Grafrath was deported to Germany, following a felony conviction, where he remains to this day. After Grafrath’s departure, the Tribe continued to use the property as its headquarters and pay the monthly mortgage payments.
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