County Widens Aid for Redman Buyers

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to grant temporary water rights to an additional 18 families who have lived without running water and electricity since buying raw Antelope Valley land from developer Marshall Redman.

After weeks of searching the isolated High Desert 90 miles north of downtown Los Angeles for victims of the alleged Redman land fraud, county authorities have now supplied at least 28 families with access to water, said Jim Noyes, assistant director of Los Angeles County Public Works.

County workers visited 295 properties sold by Redman in the far northeast area of the county and talked with 39 landowners, Noyes said. “We went door-to-door to scout out all the victims we could find,” he said.

The 18 families affected Tuesday live outside county water district boundaries, but are in need of water service. Residents will receive access to county water wells at a cost of $45.60 for six months--a price that the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has offered Tuesday to pay. Redman was charged with fraud and theft in May in connection with an alleged massive land fraud that between 1978 and 1994 sold undeveloped desert land to about 2,500 customers, mostly unsophisticated immigrants from Mexico and Central America. Many customers bought land that was improperly zoned as well as property that did not even belong to the 67-year-old Redman.

The sales involved land in Kern, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, authorities said. More than 80% of the parcels sold were located in Kern County, but scores of buyers still live in Third World conditions in far-flung areas of north Los Angeles County, including families of 10 or more who live without utilities.

County supervisors created two groups, one to get help to desert residents and another to develop an early-warning system to prevent land fraud in the future.

“We’ve identified people in desperate need,” said Supervisor Gloria Molina. “We’re trying to do all we can but we realize that we’re not going to be able to solve all their problems.”

Molina said much of the work of sorting ownership for 1,500 customers still making monthly installments on land purchased from Redman will be up to a court-appointed receiver hired after a civil lawsuit was filed by the government against the millionaire developer in 1994.

The receiver, Richard Weissman, is marshaling funds to victims and investigating whether buyers can receive a partial refund or clear title to their land.

“The problem is many victims expect the county to return their investment to them and we can’t do that,” Molina said. “All we can do at this point is let the receiver do his job.”

Molina said county workers have had their eyes open to the harsh living conditions of many Redman buyers. “Our plan was to try and relocate a lot of these people but it’s amazing how so many of these families make do,” she said.

“Many are annoyed they didn’t get what they paid for but their life goes on. There’s a church here to serve them and now most have water rights. People tell us that their standard of living is far better than what they had in Mexico. So, that’s what we’re dealing with.”

Noyes said the county is exploring ways to supply free legal advice to families deciding whether to remain on their land or seek a partial refund through the receiver. As well, officials are soliciting donations of building materials to help residents bring substandard housing up to building codes.

Supervisor Mike Antonovich said Tuesday that the county’s Land Sales Fraud Task Force he formed two months ago will also look at what legislative changes are needed to stop scofflaw developers from victimizing unsophisticated immigrant buyers in the future.