(Screenshot courtesy Ben Perez) CALIFORNIA CITY Episode 6 Transcript: The Hunted . As such, the Receiver accepted the offer and intends to seek Court authority to sell the Galileo Project land. Esto es todo lo que los inquilinos deben saber sobre lo que viene a continuacin. Debbie sat next to him, looking like a middle-aged Farrah Fawcett with bangles and tight jeans. In my reporting, I learned that Silver Saddles land sale scheme was essentially an open secret in Kern County. SILVER SADDLE (Sella D'Argento, 1978) Italian TRAILERa film by Lucio Fulciwith Giuliano Gemma, Sven Valsecchi, Ettore ManniYoung boy who sees his father gunn. As explained below, if you disagree with the Receivers determination you must contact the Receivers office by mail or email on or before April 8, 2022. March 9, 2022 Motion to Approve Sale of Galileo Project Land Filed. When he came back from Silver Saddle in July 2017, he told me he couldnt tell what was real, and what was a lie. Every weekday, you'll get fresh, community-driven stories that catch you up with our independent local news. EMILY GUERIN: There was an entire, untouched buffet station set up in the empty dining room, apparently for us. Maybe Tom and his sales agents tried to make people feel this way. TOM MANEY: Well, if you're talking to people who want to get out of the deal, they may say all kinds of things. If you think the Receivers claim determination is wrong, you have until April 8, 2022 to send the Receivers office a letter or email challenging the calculations. DEBBIE NICASTRO: Its a requirement of you coming. Based on an independent appraisal prepared for the Galileo Project Land, the Receiver believes the price is more than fair and reasonable. TOM MANEY: Cus, you know, were taking a very hard look at everything that were doing to make sure that we can eliminate as much of these problems as youre mentioning. What questions do you have about Southern California? 2023 Southern California Public Radio - All Rights Reserved. And either way, that wasnt my point. The Court has rescheduled the hearing on the Receivers Motion from August 28, 2020 to August 19, 2020 at 1:30 p.m. All responses and oppositions to the Receivers Motion must be filed with the Court by August 6, 2020. Investor payments will be made by check. My point was that there is a difference between running a business that caters to certain kinds of people, and targeting them with a confusing sales pitch. The Receiver has retained counsel to address both the appeal and the bankruptcies. EMILY GUERIN: Michael sat through the sales pitch and thought to himself, these people are liars. So afterwards, he pulled Ben aside, and he kind of reprimanded him. Instead, on August 5, 2020, the Receiver filed an ex parte application for an order cancelling escrows for Silver Saddle Ranch and the Galileo parcels, which will be heard telephonically via CourtCall on August 11, 2020 at 8:30 a.m. All responses and oppositions to the Receivers ex parte application must be filed with the Court prior to the hearing. If no objections are filed with the Court, the Receiver will promptly file a proposed Order approving the Receivers claim determinations. EMILY GUERIN: Like, do you feel like because you invited people you helped Silver Saddle get more people into the scam? 7, 2022), Receiver's Motion to Approve Sale of Galileo Project Land (Mar. The guys from Solid, who were L.A. originals. As previously reported, the receivership case was stayed (put on hold) on August 11, 2022 as the result of a request by Defendant Maney. From the posts over time and based on my own research into the issue, there are several things that are apparent: 1. EMILY GUERIN: Well, so I sat down with Tom Maney, and, uh KEN DONNEY: laughs. The Receiver will continue to update this website with any developments as they occur. As previously reported, the receivership case was stayed (put on hold) on August 11, 2022 as the result of a request by Defendant Maney. The listing is available here: https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/Rutgers-Rd-Kennedy-Blvd-California-City-CA/20743529/. The Receiver has therefore proposed to the Court that pro rata distributions be made to each investor based on the amount each investor paid into the Galileo Project and Common Improvement Fund. is robin roberts married to amber laign . James and I had been to Silver Saddle before, just to check it out. DEBBIE NICASTRO: I'm just saying, I don't think, no, I can't speculate as to what this is. The Case Remains Cold, Even 'Affordable Housing' In LA Isn't Affordable. See March 7, 2022 post below for further information and details. Clubhouse Manager/Activities Director at Silver Saddle Ranch & Club Lancaster, California, United States. View Marian Ducreux's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. Im Emily Guerin, and welcome back to California City, episode five. Now I'm starting to get nervous. But it wasnt like that. I dont think theyd assume wed go to the administrative office. I think its why I ended up getting married: I was on the fence, but my boyfriend at the time was convinced, and convincing. On April 15, 2022, the Court held a hearing on the Receivers Motion to Approve the Sale of the Galileo Project Land. March 23, 2021 Motion to Approve Distribution Method and Procedures. Any response must be filed before the hearing. 60 Years Of Deception And Land Sales In California City: 7 Takeaways From My Investigative Podcast, California City Podcast: State Adds Use Of Cell Phone Jammers to Complaint Against Silver Saddle, 'California City' Podcast Tells The Dark Side Of The American Dream. I knew that Tom, in other words, was the link to the past. He made me doubt myself. EMILY GUERIN: Silver Saddle Ranch and Club was closed for the winter, so there wasnt really anyone around when James and in drove past the unmanned guardhouse. Given the stay, we do not expect any material activity to occur prior to the resolution of the criminal prosecution. EMILY GUERIN: Like how long term are we talking? The Receiver intends to seek Court permission to proceed with the sale. The Court determined that the Receiver had shown it was necessary to sell the Ranch, given the ongoing maintenance costs and the limited funds remaining to pay them. EMILY GUERIN: Administrative office. The business operations in Burbank have been terminated. Motion to Approve Distribution Method and Procedures filed Telephonic Hearing on March 19, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. Before the Receiver can distribute funds to investors, the Court must approve a distribution process. At the conclusion of the case, the Receiver will promptly move for permission to make a distribution. Because whenever I asked about it, they wouldn't talk. If the Court grants the motion to cancel the escrows, the Receiver intends to reopen the sales process and all interested parties will have an opportunity to submit their best and final offer for the Ranch real property directly to the Receiver. JAMES KIM: Ah, I should have bought cigarettes. Silver Saddle Ranch and Club sits at the foot of Galileo Hill the same spot where Nat Mendelsohns salespeople took potential clients and told them to imagine a beautiful new city. Because of these ongoing costs, we determined selling the Ranch is in the best interest of the Receivership Estate. EMILY GUERIN: When I first started reporting this story, I figured no one in California City knew about Silver Saddle. Once Ben Perez realized that hed made a mistake by investing in Silver Saddles land banking project, he emailed Silver Saddles general mailbox to get his money back. Nevertheless, the Receiver intends to recommend to the Court that the funds from the sale of the Ranch be used to make an initial distribution to Galileo Project investors. Period. Investors also were required to make recurring payments for membership in the Silver Saddle travel club and received an option to purchase the Silver Saddle Ranch & Club for $500,000. It was actually a little baffling how welcoming they were, given what we were there to do and what we were about to ask them. 9, 2021), Receiver's Motion for Proposed Distribution to Investors (Feb. 8, 2021), Receiver's 3rd Interim Status Report (Jan. 14, 2021), Minute Order Granting Receivers Motion to Approve Sale of Ranch (Nov. 6, 2020), Receiver's 2nd Motion to Approve Sale of Ranch (Oct. 13, 2020), Receiver's 2nd Interim Status Report (Sept. 15, 2020), Silver Saddle Resort Sales Brochure (August 24, 2020), Galileo Parcels Sales Brochure (August 24, 2020), Receiver's Ex Parte Appl'n for Order Cancelling Escrows (Aug. 5, 2020), Preliminary Injunction re Accelerated Assets; SS Purchco; and Pahrump Valley Real Estate Co. (July 24, 2020), Minute Order re Motion to Intervene and for Preliminary Injunction (July 24, 2020), Moody Decl. The Receiver selected Kidder Mathews as the real estate brokers to market the Ranch property, and the listing went active on May 8, 2020. Silver Saddle and Galileo Hill are popular California birding destinations. The civil action unsealedtoday seeks an injunction, penalties, and restitution for all investors. But of course, like everything in this story, its more complicated. And they talk about it as if its run by the mob. This car is no good. For the latest national news from NPR and our live radio broadcast, visit LAist.com/radio. July 10, 2020 Offer to Purchase Silver Saddle Ranch and Club. But, I was still nervous. On March 13, 2020, the Receiver filed the first status report. Term. When emailing our office, please include your unit number to allow us to locate your records quickly. Tell me, Emily, did he remember me? Deep in the Mojave Desert, there is a little town with a big name and a bizarre history: California City. At the same time the Receiver accepted an offer to purchase the Silver Saddle Ranch, he accepted an offer to purchase the Galileo Project Land. I knew his wife, Sharon, was an abstract painter. Tom never raised his voice. DEBBIE NICASTRO: That's not true. Forever. With the trial date approaching, the Receiver intends to proceed with the sale of the Galileo Project Land for $900,000 to the same individual who purchased the Ranch. Shame on you. August 5, 2020 Cancellation of August 19 Hearing on Receivers Motion to Approve Sale of Silver Saddle Ranch and Club. Because I could see somebody who was like, looking at it from the outside being like, "Wait, Ben is a victim. The reason the Receiver took the motion to approve the sale off calendar is that shortly after the Receiver accepted an offer to purchase the Ranch, another individual, who had also presented an offer, complained about the sales process and his interaction with the real estate broker. It's like, we're, you know, Hispanics are more than 50% of the population in California. At that time, the Receiver will also file a Notice of Final Determination of Claims with the Court. Last updated: Feb 16, 2022 @ 11:55 am. The multi-family homes were red tagged by authorities late Wednesday. Prior to the hearing, the Court issued a tentative ruling approving the sale. Both the Ranch and the Galileo Project property are listed for sale. Any investor who challenged the claim determination and disagrees with the Receivers final determination may submit an objection to the Court within 14 days of the filing of the Receivers Notice of Final Claim Determination and Proposed Distribution. If your mailing address has changed, please email your new address to info@regulatoryresolutions.com with the subject line SILVER SADDLE W-2 ADDRESS CHANGE. If you did not opt out of electronic delivery, you can access your W-2 through the Insperity Premier website. EMILY GUERIN: Michael is kind of like Bens big brother. Prosecutors charged Thomas Maney, the 83 year-old owner of Silver Saddle, Marian Ducreux, 68, one of the company's top sales people, and seven other former sales agents, managers and employees . Instead Judge Wohlfeil treated the ex parte application as an application for order shortening time, which he granted. At the hearing, the Court approved the sale of the land for $900,000, with clear title and free of all liens and encumbrances. The judges order can be found here (PDF). The listing is available here: https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/20751-Aristotle-Dr-California-City-CA/19775266/. And I think thats part of how this thing has been happening for 60 years. I needed someone to help me make sense of what had just happened with Tom and Debbie. I will sue you for defamation of character and false accusations if you will not stop this.. The Attorney Generals office didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. DA Files Criminal Charges Against 7 CHP Officers In Death Of Man Detained For Suspected DUI, How 3 LA Kids Embraced R&B, Went To South Korea And Revolutionized K-Pop, Orange County Homes On Precipice Of Disaster As Record-Setting Rain Hits Southern California Hard, Auf Wiedersehen, Alpine Village. And honestly, I started to wonder if that was intentional. Which I thought was weird, because Tom had continued using Kens warning label on Silver Saddles contracts. On May 25, 2022, the California Attorney Generals Office filed criminal charges against a number of people in connection with the Silver Saddle Commercial Development-Galileo Project. SilverSaddle Marian is on Facebook. The DBO alleges that Defendants sale of fractionalized interests in vacant desert land near California City, California violated California securities laws because such sales constituted the sale of unqualified or unregistered securities and were based on fraudulent and deceptive misrepresentations. Western Saddle Bridle Silver Trim Kit 2 Billet Trim & 6 Conchos Rope Edge Floral. TOM MANEY: Well, she's an independent contractor. Or was he just trying to make as much money as he could, the only way he knew how? KEN DONNEY: You hear me, Tom? As the Receiver mentioned in his last update, the same proposed buyer who offered $2,100,000 for the Ranch also offered $900,000 for the Galileo Project vacant land. Each sale is alleged to be a separate violation. As we walked up to the clubhouse, a black cat named Midnight came up and rubbed against my legs. Thats when the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation raided Silver Saddles headquarters, halted all sales operations and took control of its bank accounts. Copies of the Complaint and the TRO are available in the documents section of this webpage. '../imgs/USA.png' ?> //= $_COOKIE['currency'] == 'CAD . EMILY GUERIN: But we knew they knew that wasnt true. March 7, 2022 Notice to Silver Saddle Investors of Claim Determinations. EMILY GUERIN: How was Ben acting before the tour? While many individuals have requested refunds, whether refunds will be issued depends on the outcome of the case and will be an issue for the DBO and the Court to resolve. It was playing pool home in her to your browser does not talking about him to help me from silver saddle bound by bahman, without providing our detailed listings. JAMES KIM: Yeah, I was gonna say that too. Maybe I have the charisma. Why not? Did he believe that his landbanking project really was a good investment? And I think they convinced him and his friends to lure even more people into their web. If you were an investor, please continue to keep the Receivers office apprised of any address changes. Wed obsessed about this interview for days. And I think thats part of how this thing has been happening for 60 years landbanking Project really was good. 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