I got this e-mail from a friend this morning, and I don't doubt that this actually happened recently!
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Part of rebuilding New Orleans (after Katrina) often caused residents to be challenged with the task of tracing titles to their homes... back potentially hundreds of years. With a community rich with history stretching back over two centuries, houses have been passed along through generations of family, sometimes making it quite difficult to establish ownership. Here's a great letter an attorney wrote to the FHA on behalf of a client:
You have to love this lawyer ...
A New Orleans lawyer sought an FHA loan for a client.. He was told the loan would be granted if he could prove satisfactory title to the parcel of property being offered as collateral. It took the lawyer three months to track down the full title to the property which dated back to 1803. After sending the information to the FHA, he received the following reply.
(Actual reply from FHA):
"Upon review of your letter adjoining your client's loan application, we note that the request is supported by an Abstract of Title. While we compliment the able manner in which you have prepared and presented the application, we must point out that you have only cleared title to the proposed collateral property back to 1803. Before final approval can be accorded, it will be necessary to clear the title back to its origin."
Annoyed, the lawyer responded as follows:
(Actual response):
"Your letter regarding title in Case No.189156 has been received. I note that you wish to have title extended further than the 206 years covered by the present application. I was unaware that any educated person in this country, particularly those working in the property area, would not know that Louisiana was purchased by the United States from France, in 1803 the year of origin identified in our application. For the edification of uninformed FHA bureaucrats, the title to the land prior to U.S. ownership was obtained from France, which had acquired it by Right of Conquest from Spain. The land came into the possession of Spain by Right of Discovery made in the year 1492 by a sea captain named Christopher Columbus, who had been granted the privilege of seeking a new route to India by the Spanish monarch, Queen Isabella. The good Queen Isabella, being a pious woman and almost as careful about titles as the FHA, took the precaution of securing the blessing of the Pope before she sold her jewels to finance Columbus's expedition...Now the Pope, as I'm sure you may know, is the emissary of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and God, it is commonly accepted, created this world. Therefore, I believe it is safe to presume that God also made that part of the world called Louisiana. God, therefore, would be the owner of origin and His origins date back to before the beginning of time, the world as we know it, and the FHA. I hope you find God's original claim to be satisfactory.
Now, may we have our *#!@#! loan?"
The loan was immediately approved.
BethAnn Long ~ Spokane Realtor- Coldwell Banker Tomlinson South Inc.
509-362-4607
...there's no place like your home!
That's a great story
Ha Ha gotta love gov't workers!!
True or not, it was a lot of fun to read. Thanks.
BethAnn, I truly did laugh out loud when I read that letter. That is the best response I've seen in a long time and very appropriate for a bunch of bureaucrats that are not near as smart as they think they are. Thanks for sharing!
Sometimes you have to pick up a large stick, proceed to detail the ludicrous questions brokers receive, requests we get every day by folks needing to justify their involvement, role in a property sale. Sometimes its the gun and the badge syndrome or power trip or recoil from a bad day on the other end and you are the bug hitting the windshield. I have found Trans Union credit reporting folks to be the same pig headed, hard to work with when they stick a credit burdock on a file that like a piranha they will not release unless held under water. Brokers that buyer and seller order for a judge to decide the deposition of a deposit when the deal goes south a case in point. The broker in the court resolution finds his credit takes a 100 point hit from the judgement he is named in as the holder of the trust account deposit.
Citing the Lousiana Purchase was great homework. Here's some more proof:
BethAnn, True or not - this is a terrific letter! Sarcasm is an art form!
I hope that's true because I really like that story.
It's likely not true or at least exactly as it is told but having been in mortgage banking for quite some years I have seen/heard/read some pretty ridiculous things. They almost always originate from government agencies who, while usually being kind, fail to recall how to use common sense and intelligence. Our conclusion after years of facing situations like this is those government employees have no practical experience in the industry nor reason to fear being disciplined for failing to provide the highest and most competent level of customer service.
Love the comments thanks!
Hi BethAnn ~ this is fantastic! Especially the last line in the request ;) Thank you for sharing!
This is very funny. Way to deal with bureaucracy.