The e-mail falsely claimed that de Montremare's French family owned 6,000 acres surrounding the property and that the property already had the covered riding arena, barn and laboratory, Weiland wrote.

Gwartz, a competitor in horse-carriage driving, and his wife relied on these representations to negotiate a contract -- both verbal and written -- with the doctor, Weiland wrote.

"Unfortunately, my clients did not receive the benefit of their bargain," he said before he was dismissed.

The Weilerts sold the Parlier property to Gwartz and Skigin in spring 2008. A year later, the couple sued the Weilerts, contending they had committed fraud by creating de Montremare's phony legacy. By pitching the Parlier property as a shrine to her, the Weilerts knew full well that it "would sell for a premium to a horse enthusiast versus a mere homebuyer," Weiland said in court documents.

In the lawsuit, Gwartz and his wife are seeking to rescind the property deal and recoup their $2.3 million, plus interest, damages and attorney fees. Currently, no one lives on the property, but caretakers live nearby.

Attorney Steven Paganetti, who represents the Weilerts, said the plaintiffs don't have a legitimate case.

In a motion to dismiss the case, Paganetti said the buyers signed a written contract that said the Parlier property was sold "as is." The contract also urged the buyers to conduct their own investigation before buying it, Paganetti said in his motion.

In addition, Gwartz and Skigin did not rely on any alleged misrepresentation by the Weilerts prior to entering into the agreement, Paganetti wrote.

Judge Alan Simpson, so far, has allowed the case to go forward, but a trial date has not been scheduled. The next hearing is April 27.

Paganetti and his clients declined a request to be interviewed. But a woman who answered the telephone at the Weilert home on March 25 said the plaintiffs are trying to smear the doctor's "good name" by taking advantage of his wife's "neurological and physical illnesses."

The woman, who identified herself as de Montremare's personal nurse, said de Montremare is gravely ill, suffering from major depression, hypertension and diabetes, and hasn't left her home in more than a decade.

"Please leave this poor woman alone," she said. "This was a simple property transaction, and she had nothing to do with it."

Still elusive

The pleadings and evidence comprise more than 15 thick court files. The doctor and the plaintiffs, as well as their witnesses, including the Weilerts' only child, have given depositions.

The 17-year-old daughter said in her deposition that her parents never told her that her mother descended from French royalty. But she said her mother told her "out of the blue" one day that people thought she was dead. She also said she found her mother's obituary.

It has been difficult for the plaintiffs to get de Montremare's account. Few people have seen her in recent years, and she does most of her communication through e-mails and in telephone conversations, Weiland said before he was dismissed.

Weiland tried to get her deposition last summer at the Weilert home in north Clovis. He was directed to a dimly lit bedroom, where he found a bedridden woman.

"We had to use flashlights to read the documents," he said.

Weiland was told the woman on the bed was de Montremare, but she wouldn't answer any questions. Because the deposition was unsuccessful, Weiland tried again to depose de Montremare in March. Paganetti obtained a court order and stopped the deposition after submitting doctor reports that said "a deposition might kill her," Weiland said.

Weiland said de Montremare is faking it. The plaintiffs' experts have reviewed her medical records and determined that she is not gravely ill, he said.

But he conceded: "She's not normal."

De Montremare's father, Bill Sanders, said in a recent interview that he hadn't seen his daughter "in some time" and that her legal troubles are none of his business. But, he said, the allegations sound "far-fetched."

Although the public hasn't seen de Montremare in years, her husband said in a deposition in February that his wife is alive. Weilert said he told others about her death to protect her from the outside world.

"The Genevieve that used to be with me is gone," he said. "I'm facing the loss of a whole lifestyle and the whole existence that I previously enjoyed."