The complaint is dismissed and plaintiff's interest in the property is invalid. There is no evidence, on the face of the deed or otherwise, that the transferor had authority to transfer title to the property, and a corporate acknowledgement is insufficient. A deed based on forgery or obtained by false pretenses is void ab initio, as it is legally impossible for anyone to become a bona fide purchaser of real estate, or a purchaser at all, from one who never had any title.
Watson v. Lampkin, NY Slip Op 01154 (1st Dep't March 2, 2023)
