Board Votes to End Ex-Barnstormer’s Lease at John Wayne

The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to terminate the airport lease of an 84-year-old former barnstormer if he fails to renew a $2,000 security deposit by the end of the month.

Supervisors did not discuss the issue, which was approved as a routine matter on the consent calendar.

Cliff Fraizer, who rents the property at John Wayne Airport, said later that it would have been a waste of time to attend the meeting.

Fraizer has until Feb. 28 to establish the deposit. If he fails to meet the deadline, the supervisors agreed to take legal action to evict him.

Friends have pleaded with Fraizer to renew the security deposit and avoid the showdown with the county, he said. But the former Marine who fought at Guadalcanal and in Korea and acted twice as his own attorney to win lawsuits is not backing down.

“That would be admitting that (county officials) did no wrong,” Fraizer said. “They breached the lease. Fraizer never breached the lease.”

Fraizer said the airport violated his lease many times since 1957, when he opened a repair shop at the airport. His current 25-year lease expires in 2002.

“They owe me many, many thousands of dollars,” Fraizer said. “They’re not going to kick me out, because they are the ones that are guilty.”

He estimated that the airport overcharged him nearly $50,000 in rent from 1968 to 1987.

But airport officials said the rent has been legally increased under terms of the lease. Pat Ware, an airport spokeswoman, said Tuesday that Fraizer only needs to renew a 10-year certificate of deposit at his bank. The certificate expired in October.

“John Wayne Airport would still like to work something out with Mr. Fraizer, within our legal parameters,” Ware said.