I'd ask for a hearing and defend myself with the copy of the notice, if I couldn't do that, I'd write a check.

In addition to searching the land records you are normally on constructive notice of the legality of service of process on each foreclosed out defendant, how anyone other than a professional searcher could confidently do this is beyond my understanding.

Perhaps just filing a motion to be made party defendant would suffice.

If you buy the LLC, you buy all it's assets and liabilities, unless there is documentation stating you are not assuming any liabilities and will be defended, protected, etc from any claims, blah, blah, blah.

One of the collections agency is suing her for a portion of the debt and just opened the case on Nov 1.When I clicked on the "case history", it read1/24/2013 Suggestion of Bankruptcy, filed.Not knowing what this is, I looked that up and it said, "Suggestion of bankruptcy is a document filed with a court to put it on notice that the defendant in a pending lawsuit has filed a bankruptcy case."

With your advice I am more likely to be perceived as defending against this practice, and I will avoid gaining a reputation as a "fish", to borrow from a poker analogy.Many thanks.

So, you take that to court and defend your sham transaction, false testimony, contempt of court, fraud, if in bankruptcy of either trading partner you have filing false statements, bkrcy fraud, if you used the mail, mailing back the deed of trust from the recorder's office you have mail fraud, if the amounts are over ten thousand you can look to money laundering issues, even if cash did not change hands, as with future advance notes you have no encumbrance without claiming a balace owing.I suggest you stick to conventional methods of asset protection

Gain the business of those you can and defend forcefully against those who may work against you in an ethical and legal manner, educating them.

If the equity, which is undefined at the time of creating the note, creates a number that makes your loan 20% interest at deal's end, how do you defend that?

A good prosecuting attorney will identify an attempted scapegoat, it’s just a matter of how well the defendant created a legal mess and what it will cost them to get out of it.