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Last revised 10-14-08
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John Hilton, October 14, 2008
Editor, Ann Arbor Observer,
Dear Mr Hilton,
In reading the October 2008 Observer article about the pending sale of the M-Go-Blue barn
property - something the Parkers informed me about several months ago when they had to
ask, at their realtor’s request, that I take down my “Don’t Flip 1960” signs - I was astonished
that Doug Gale would be quoted as if he had any expertise in Ann Arbor real estate. In his
entire handling of his foreclosing on 1960 S Maple Rd and my dispossession, every decision
he has/had made only indicated willful ignorance and a lack of expertise regarding local
market conditions and the specifics and peculiarities of 1960’s situation.
I wrote “willful” above since, in spite of the implication of Gale’s quote that he recently
learned, supposedly from his own research, that there were difficulties that made 1960 un-
marketable, the truth is that I had informed him from the very beginning of his foreclosure of
all the problems he would be facing trying to make a killing on the property. In the late spring
of 2004, I had faxed to his office, via Tiffany Cone (now Nelson) copies of County letters,
inspections and independent appraisals that detailed the problems with the property, the
septic system and the constraints these placed on what could be done with the property.
None of this could have been news to him or something unexpected, or that somehow “Scio
has changed (its) septic rules” in the recent past, spoiling his carefully considered plans.
A few phone calls to the County, the appraisers and inspectors would have confirmed the
information I had supplied him yet he apparently did nothing to verify it or, driven by nothing
more than opportunistic greed, proceeded with the foreclosure, self-assured that he knew
better and would do better than I predicted he would.
Even his appraisals of 1960 have proved his ignorance repeatedly. Initially, he had insisted
that 1960 could be easily sold for $300,000 which was what he was willing to sell it back to
me for. Then it became $50,000 after his own ordered septic inspection revealed that it
wouldn’t allow for an open market sale. Then again, up to $180,000 when he tried to sell it ‘as
is’ to Heidi Kraepel-Griffith -without informing me - believing that she had access to funds
raised to re-purchase 1960. Then to $200,000 and finally to $121,000 which was what his
equally incompetent local realtor listed the property for on Zillow and in his own listings.
Gale’s current estimate of what the property is worth as an empty lot, $125,000, is patently
ridiculous since, if the house is allowed to deteriorate any further, or torn down, no building
permit will be issued for 1960 since it cannot comply with standards for new construction on
a lot requiring an engineered septic system. No other option would remain but for the
property to linger an unbuildable empty site, trapped in a backwater of Scio Township, for
the foreseeable future until city services reach it, something no one I’ve spoken to familiar
with the area is willing to bet on. This is the final “good thing” that Doug Gale has brought to
Ann Arbor.
None of Gale’s supposed valuations have borne any relation to the property’s true local
market worth and the final lie is given to all Gale’s insisted pricings by the warrantee deed
filed by the new local owner. There the sale price is given as $80,000. Even that is a high
price, but still in the range of what I had offered to him years before and told him was all he
could expect to get from the property.
Incidentally, on making the local sale, Doug Gale did not have the decency to inform me and
allow me to make a counter offer. Whether this was spite, laziness or ego, I can’t guess.
As a side note, I’ve always been personally offended and pained by statements that 1960
was/is uninhabitable, a characterization that Gale and Destiny-98 have wanted to foster. That
the septic system would “overflow” is an impossibility and a canard perpetuated by Gale’s
misreading of their own septic report and a letter from the County that had misidentified the
sump pump discharge as the sewer line. That it was a primitive system and not up to current
standards – being state-of-the-art circa 1920 like so many others in rural Washtenaw County
– is true, but it did work.
During my possession of it, 1960 was always in a state of transition, the refurbishment of it
beginning even before the first day I took possession. It has meant many years of living with
ad hoc, partially completed kitchens and bathrooms but I doubt that any of my guests and
visitors over the years would condemn 1960 as unpleasant, uninhabitable or maintain that I
had done anything but make vast improvements on what I had found when I got there the fall
of ’78. This also is a subject on which Doug Gale is too hopelessly ignorant to be able to
make any judgment, even though he has had the arrogance to already have done so…
A copy of this letter with live links to documentation supporting all claims made in it can be
accessed at www.SupportBeal.com.
Sincerely,
Peter Beal
Editor, Ann Arbor Observer,
Dear Mr Hilton,
In reading the October 2008 Observer article about the pending sale of the M-Go-Blue barn
property - something the Parkers informed me about several months ago when they had to
ask, at their realtor’s request, that I take down my “Don’t Flip 1960” signs - I was astonished
that Doug Gale would be quoted as if he had any expertise in Ann Arbor real estate. In his
entire handling of his foreclosing on 1960 S Maple Rd and my dispossession, every decision
he has/had made only indicated willful ignorance and a lack of expertise regarding local
market conditions and the specifics and peculiarities of 1960’s situation.
I wrote “willful” above since, in spite of the implication of Gale’s quote that he recently
learned, supposedly from his own research, that there were difficulties that made 1960 un-
marketable, the truth is that I had informed him from the very beginning of his foreclosure of
all the problems he would be facing trying to make a killing on the property. In the late spring
of 2004, I had faxed to his office, via Tiffany Cone (now Nelson) copies of County letters,
inspections and independent appraisals that detailed the problems with the property, the
septic system and the constraints these placed on what could be done with the property.
None of this could have been news to him or something unexpected, or that somehow “Scio
has changed (its) septic rules” in the recent past, spoiling his carefully considered plans.
A few phone calls to the County, the appraisers and inspectors would have confirmed the
information I had supplied him yet he apparently did nothing to verify it or, driven by nothing
more than opportunistic greed, proceeded with the foreclosure, self-assured that he knew
better and would do better than I predicted he would.
Even his appraisals of 1960 have proved his ignorance repeatedly. Initially, he had insisted
that 1960 could be easily sold for $300,000 which was what he was willing to sell it back to
me for. Then it became $50,000 after his own ordered septic inspection revealed that it
wouldn’t allow for an open market sale. Then again, up to $180,000 when he tried to sell it ‘as
is’ to Heidi Kraepel-Griffith -without informing me - believing that she had access to funds
raised to re-purchase 1960. Then to $200,000 and finally to $121,000 which was what his
equally incompetent local realtor listed the property for on Zillow and in his own listings.
Gale’s current estimate of what the property is worth as an empty lot, $125,000, is patently
ridiculous since, if the house is allowed to deteriorate any further, or torn down, no building
permit will be issued for 1960 since it cannot comply with standards for new construction on
a lot requiring an engineered septic system. No other option would remain but for the
property to linger an unbuildable empty site, trapped in a backwater of Scio Township, for
the foreseeable future until city services reach it, something no one I’ve spoken to familiar
with the area is willing to bet on. This is the final “good thing” that Doug Gale has brought to
Ann Arbor.
None of Gale’s supposed valuations have borne any relation to the property’s true local
market worth and the final lie is given to all Gale’s insisted pricings by the warrantee deed
filed by the new local owner. There the sale price is given as $80,000. Even that is a high
price, but still in the range of what I had offered to him years before and told him was all he
could expect to get from the property.
Incidentally, on making the local sale, Doug Gale did not have the decency to inform me and
allow me to make a counter offer. Whether this was spite, laziness or ego, I can’t guess.
As a side note, I’ve always been personally offended and pained by statements that 1960
was/is uninhabitable, a characterization that Gale and Destiny-98 have wanted to foster. That
the septic system would “overflow” is an impossibility and a canard perpetuated by Gale’s
misreading of their own septic report and a letter from the County that had misidentified the
sump pump discharge as the sewer line. That it was a primitive system and not up to current
standards – being state-of-the-art circa 1920 like so many others in rural Washtenaw County
– is true, but it did work.
During my possession of it, 1960 was always in a state of transition, the refurbishment of it
beginning even before the first day I took possession. It has meant many years of living with
ad hoc, partially completed kitchens and bathrooms but I doubt that any of my guests and
visitors over the years would condemn 1960 as unpleasant, uninhabitable or maintain that I
had done anything but make vast improvements on what I had found when I got there the fall
of ’78. This also is a subject on which Doug Gale is too hopelessly ignorant to be able to
make any judgment, even though he has had the arrogance to already have done so…
A copy of this letter with live links to documentation supporting all claims made in it can be
accessed at www.SupportBeal.com.
Sincerely,
Peter Beal
This page is incomplete and still
being worked on...
being worked on...
Last revised 10-14-08
All blue highlighted text links to
additional notes and information
All blue highlighted text links to
additional notes and information
This page is incomplete and still
being worked on...
being worked on...
Last revised 10-14-08
All blue highlighted text links to
additional notes and information
All blue highlighted text links to
additional notes and information
In the beginning I thought I was dealing with reasonable, competent
business people, who would evaluate 1960 then make a decision on
how they would exploit their claim to the property.
business people, who would evaluate 1960 then make a decision on
how they would exploit their claim to the property.
an utter failure of the vaunted "due
diligence" that is held up as such a key
element in successful tax lien - and all
real estate - transactions ...
diligence" that is held up as such a key
element in successful tax lien - and all
real estate - transactions ...