Return the Spring to the DeHart Family
For over 100 years, the family of Eric DeHart has owned the John D. Hancock Spring. Then it was wrongfully taken. Help Eric DeHart win the Spring back.
In March 2019, Stephen Swartz represented by Wrenn Williams filed a Quiet Title lawsuit regarding a note on a 1995 survey stating that the boundaries of D75/P395 were unknown. Although there was enough evidence for two surveyors and a title search company to locate the current owner of the land described in D75/P395, the suit was filed under “unknown heirs.”
The order was filed on February 7, 2020 and the Patrick County Tax Office switched parcel 3-NM ( )-H-1119 from Eric DeHart to Stephen Swartz. The 2021 tax bill went to Stephen Swartz. Early 2022 Eric realized he had not received a tax bill for his 4 acres in Patrick County. When Eric called, he was told that he did not own any land in Patrick County. Upon further investigation, he was given a copy of an order dated February 7, 2019 and an explanation that this law suit removed his ownership of the 4 acres that had been in his family for over 100 years. Those dates are not mistakes. The suit was filed on March 20, 2019 and the order was originally dated February 7, 2019. After Eric questioned the date, the clerk did a handwritten change to 2020.
When Eric inherited the land in 2015, he contacted Fork Mountain Survey. Although the survey was never completed, Eric had the title notes. The deed that Swartz quieted was dated 1901 and talks about the 4 acres south of a cemetery. Eric’s parent deed is dated 1906 and states 4 acres that encompass the John Hancock spring head. In verifying this through a title search, he found out that his land was actually on Stephen Hamm’s property, not Swartz’s. Now he had two problems: Swartz owned the land and the land is on Stephen Hamm’s property.
Swartz’s attorney is Virginia State Delegate Wren Williams. The court was very lenient with him about being late, unprepared, and continuing the case. During a hearing in April 2026, Williams agreed in court that Eric’s property was not part of the title chain that was claimed in CL19-184 and that the case needed to be reopened
Swartz’s attorney is Virginia State Delegate Wren Williams. The court was very lenient with him about being late, unprepared, and continuing the case. During a hearing in April 2026, Williams agreed in court that Eric’s property was not part of the title chain that was claimed in CL19-184 and that the case needed to be reopened. He agreed until a follow up hearing in July 2026 when he changed his tune and then stated that correcting his error would jeopardize Hamm’s land. Williams called on the court to deny Eric’s claim. Judge Marcus Brinks agreed, dismissed the case and ordered Eric to pay for Swartz’s lawyer fees. Then Judge Brinks dismissed Hamm’s case because Eric did not have title to the land. Eric is trying to find a lawyer to file his appeal and the funds to right this grave injustice. This is where we need your help! Donate to Eric’s lawyer fund to pay for the appeal.