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EXPANDED
OFFICIAL BAJA DIARIES PRESS RELEASE
New-7-16-08
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8/10/08
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On today, June 17th I received an e-mail from a gentle man named Mario. He was very concerned over the first entry from the Guestbook. “Also, while I
understand the people's opinions are just that Now read the first entry in the Guestbook below from Pat McIntyre.
I’ve re-read the article and I agree that it was inflammatory at the time when it was written. If you’ll notice the date of the entry is only about nine months after the Evictions. These people had lost everything they owned and I doubt if they had adjusted to life anywhere else. I designed the Website, “Mexico Evictions”, and provided the Guestbook as a place for people to vent, to blow off steam to the world. So they did. The loss of ones home in such an unexpected manner is bound to cause some animosity. I took a philosophical approach because I was not a homeowner yet, just a renter. However, I was forced to leave my little slice of Paradise so I did suffer a loss. I don’t think that any of the people who lost their homes bear any animosity toward the Mexican people or Mexico. They had the Pioneering Spirit which helped to grow America from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Under favorable circumstances I’m sure that most of them would return. The loss of a Paradise such as we knew is like the loss of a lover. You feel that it can never be again. The memories return as dreams each night. You see your lover. You walk with him or her in the sand with a cool ocean breeze blowing. You watch another beautiful sunset seen only on the shores of Baja. Then you awaken to the bleak reality of the loss of…
Entries from The Mexico Evictions Guest Book:
June 19th 2001 What is your name? Pat McIntyre
My husband and I were 2 of over 400 US citizens who
were illegally evicted Oct. 30th and 31st. 2000. Actually, our homes
were expropriated by the MX. Gov. We were never allowed to be included
in the land dispute in the MX courts. We were never informed of any
litigation until the first court decision came down in favor of the
claimants. Once we received the information of an impending eviction,
many of us retained MX lawyers to represent us who were thwarted in the
courts and are still being thwarted in the courts. We have never been
shown any document that says the claimants actually own the land they
claim they own. We were forcibly removed from our homes by bussloads of
Federal Troops under the authorization of the MX. Gov. Many of the
evictees are Senior citizens who invested their life savings in their
homes in Punta Banda (now Playa Punta Estero) and have been forced to
bunk in with family or friends or into a small trailer. We have never
been compensated for the loss of our homes. We have never beleived that
we owned the land, we knew we could not own land in the restricted zone
, but we did own the improvements for the duration of our leases.
June 1st 2001 What is your name? Kat Haning I wish to express my thanks to all of you that have
wished us all well. Many of "us" evictees have formed a group called
ASCAM. American Senior Citizens Against Mexico. Although we love Baja
and the many wonderful mexican friends we made while living there, we
are very angry with the Mexican Government for letting this happen, and
at the American government for not helping. As has been stated in your
many comments, "we don't treat legal or illegal Mexican citizens in the
manor we were treated." Our group has committed themselves to
protesting, writing letters to American and Mexican ("honorables?")
imploring their help. So far we have received autoresponders to our
emails, form letters from our snail mails. Never a word has been
addressed to us as to what happened and what they might do to help us.
Please, all that would like to join us please email me. I would like to
hear from you. As to wanting to purchase property in Mexico, Bancomer
was found guilty of issuing fraudlant papers to the many people that
invested in Baja Beach Hotel property. Those people have not received
anywhere near the sums that were invested there. Our group is asking for
a complete ban on purchasing or leasing of property in Mexico, until we
can be assured that the government can be held liable if the property
was sold or leased illegally. We, who purchased or leased the land were
assured by Mexican officals that it was okay to buy and lease property.
You should see all the blue, red, black seals that are placed on our
titles and leases. At least when you play monopoly you get play money to
hold. WE LOST ALL.
April 17th 2001 What is your name? John & Jean Lawrence Do you have any comments? Specifically, our home, BBTC, Casa
60 South? We had several brief dialogs by phone with representative(s)
of Mr. Cortina. We were asked what we wanted to do with our furniture.
We responded that if Mr. Cortina were willing, we would like to lease
back our property. If he allowed us to lease it back, we wanted to keep
the furnishings at Casa 60.
March 20th 2001 What is your name? Dee Provinziano
Do you have any comments? The first time I walked on the beach
at Baja Beach & Tennis Club (newly renamed Playa Punta Estero)I suddenly
stopped and thought to myself that I wish everyone I knew could be there
at that very moment, just to enjoy the beauty and peacefulness I was
feeling. That was over 2 1/2 years ago. Walking through the BBTC
development is like a ghost town. With the exception of the few that
remain there at any given time, it is quiet, yet the beauty remains. A
rainbow after a rain is exceptional.The sunsets are so beautiful.I pray
for all those who have lost their homes. I pray also for those who have
taken away dreams from others because the law has given them the go sign
to do this realize that how they did this would not be how they would
like to be treated. New Owners not only reclaimed the land, they
reclaimed improved land made more valuable by those who built beautiful
homes, roads a water system and more. The Americans gave a tremendous
amount of money and time of themselves to this area. They have not been
even compensated for their homes and the improvements they made. They
have a beautifully stocked library that noone can use now. There was
hotel full of life that is now so delapadated.Condos that were started
to be built came to a hault when the land disputes filled the air. They
are forms never having seen life. Everyone should take the opportunity
to see this area 90 miles south of the border. I love the area; love to
go there. What I don't enjoy is the emptyness that abounds this Playa
Punta Estero and how things were done to shatter dreams. There was
always someone walking on the beach. Locals from the surrounding areas
used to come to the beach especially on Saturday's and Sunday's with
their families. Groups would gather and it was easy to see they were
having fun. This beach was not held private by those living there. It
was open to all to enjoy. It was so full of life. That doesn't happen
now.
February 1st 2001 What is your name? Maggie Schmitt Do you have any comments? George, you are doing a great job!! I sat here,with tears on my cheeks (and I dont cry easily) reading the latest, the story on Jean Leslie, who was my direct neighbor....we met many years ago at the club...she has been a real friend, a real treasure! Her children just couldnt stand by and watch her torn up by all this conflict, it affected her health and even tho she was able to negotiate a new lease, its real simple...she couldnt afford the raise in lease, most of us are Senior citizens on fixed incomes, grateful to have a lease, yes but for how long, how long can we afford it. Our old contracts, as we understand it, are not legal but this was not because of something we did wrong but caused, evidently, by corruption many years ago. It would have been nice if only the new owners on all the spit would have honored what we had, as yes, we did do things legally, well, at least we used Mexican attorneys and Notarios. All for naught, with most of the people. George, maybe you could forward your article on Jean and some of the pictures to Presidente Fox, I get the feeling that the "powers that be" dont know whats involved. Now I understand thru the El Mexicano Newspaper, that a new person, the Succession of a Senor Caraveo, is now saying they own the spit. All the people that keep asking if we did things legally, yes we did, I would ask that if you have any suggestions as to where these people can go to find out correct information,please do tell us.....is what we read in the paper true, where is the truth? Thanks for listening, I like Kat, am incensed all over again...so many of my friends, in their so called "Golden Years" are literally among the Homeless. My best regards to all involved, Maggie
There were 51 entries to the Guest Book. These have been just a few. I hope they were interesting to my readers.
George Puckett
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