Bureaucracy at its Finest
Posted by: <@...>
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 a parcel of
property being offered as collateral.
The title to the property dated back to 1803, which took the lawyer 3
months to track down. After sending the information to the FHA, he
received the following reply (actual letter):
"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 an
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 title back to its
origin."
Annoyed, the lawyer responded as follows (actual letter):
"Your letter regarding title in Case 189156 has been received. I note
that you wish to have title extended further than the 194 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 U.S. from France in 1803, the
year of origin identified in our application. For the edification of
uninformed FHA bureaucrats, the title to land prior to U.S. ownership
was obtained from France, which had acquired it by Right of Conquest from
Spain.
The land came into 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 then reigning
monarch, Isabella. The good queen, being a pious woman and careful
about titles, almost as much as the FHA, took the precaution of securing
the blessing of the Pope before she sold her jewels to fund Columbus'
expedition.
Now the Pope, as I'm sure you 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 He also made that part
of the world called Louisiana. He, therefore, would be the owner of
origin. I hope to hell you find His original claim to be satisfactory.
Now, may we have our damn loan?"
They got it.