CHAPTER 4: BCHD is reluctant to reveal documents which would prove land ownership and how that land might legally be used.
It seemed strange that BCHD has avoided answering the simplest question of all.
Where is the deed? Give us a copy please, a member of the public asked BCHD during public sessions. BCHD’s answer: Make a formal request under the California law called the Public Records Act.
Curious minds really want to know; what is BCHD hiding?
Such a harsh, unusual response to a basic, simple, fundamental question, caused suspicion. Two actions were needed. First, the invitation by BCHD for taxpaying private citizens to use the Public Records Act was accepted, and a request was submitted. (This formal requirement demanding a written request seemed ironic, given that BCHD routinely complains about the amount of requests they receive).
Second, BCHD’s delaying tactic raised even more concern, so private, taxpaying citizens went to work on their own. Records of the County Registrar Recorder (where the deeds are kept) and County Assessor’s office (where records of who owns what for tax purposes are maintained) were sought, requested and reviewed.
When we scoured those records available to the public, one thing became clear. BCHD’s ownership of the land was shrouded in confusing and contradictory (and missing) records. Records that should have been readily available to the public. No one had the answer.
BCHD was in a precarious position. It wasn’t even clear they owned the land upon which they intend to build massive structures and then turn it all over to a private company.
Time passes, and BCHD provides what it calls “the deed”.
Eventually, BCHD claimed they had the answer. In response to the public records request, they finally provided a 2 page “quitclaim deed” from RIC.
Here is the pertinent language, verbatim, but with some highlighting added, from the RIC quitclaim, which BCHD called “the deed”:
"The purpose and intent of this Quitclaim Deed is to convey to Grantee any easements for ingress and egress over the aforesaid Parcels....."
If what BCHD claimed was true, if the “quitclaim” was the deed, BCHD had no land at all. Instead, they simply had the right to enter and exit over land they didn’t own.
_____
There had to be more to the story. Please join us on Tuesday for Chapter 5: “It is hard to hide the truth, and facts about why BCHD cannot use the land for anything but a hospital begin to take shape.
