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Archive for December, 2009
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Finalizing the Option/Purchase Transaction with Bob Howard
December 8th, 2009
Judi and I signed an agreement with Bob after negotiating for two months on the exact terms. Jim Wiens, my business lawyer at Clifford & Brown, was a great help. This agreement loaned Bob enough money to pay off the existing second mortgage on all three of his lots, and gave us the option to convert the loan into a purchase of lot #2. Additionally, the agreement included incentives for Bob to complete the utilities (water, power, cable, phone) to our lot.
During this time I also had numerous conversations with engineers, geologists, planning experts, and lawyers to make sure that there were no legal or engineering obstacles to building the house. This is the sort of due diligence that prudent buyers should always perform.
It is a fair agreement, and once it was signed, Bob and I immediately began working together to get the necessary permits.
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Hiring Greg Sanders of Nossaman, Gunthner, Knox & Elliott, LLP
December 9th, 2009
Once the contract negotiations with Bob were completed, I turned around and hired Bob’s lawyer, Greg Sanders, to represent both Bob and me in front of SLO County. Greg is an expert in land use issues and has practiced law on the central coast for 34 years. I also retained Fred Gaines of Gaines & Stacey LLP to help with any California Coastal Commission appeals. Fred was a Harvard Law School roommate of my own undergraduate college roommate, Jim Borovsky. Both lawyers agreed that my biggest problems in getting a building permit were going to be with the SLO Planning Dept.
It is fascinating that there are prosperous law firms who’s entire practise is based on getting projects through the Planning Dept and the Coastal Commission.
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Tim Cleath hired to do water well geology
December 12th, 2009
Tim Cleath helping people in Rwanda get clean water
Several years before Bob Howard had applied for and secured a permit to drill a water well on Cave Landing. I decided to go ahead and drill the water well so that I would have a source of water on top of the ridgeline that could be used to fight a forest fire. (When I was a small boy my parents house burned down on Christmas Eve and I have been very nervous about fires since then.) I hired Tim Cleath, a well known local geologist, to locate the best spot for drilling. Tim and I walked the property together while he provided a fascinating commentary about the different geological forces that had built the hills. Tim picked the spot and recommended a well drilling company to do the work.
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Doug Enloe checks out Cave Landing
December 31st, 2009
I met Doug Enloe, of Enloe Well Drilling, at Cave Landing Ranch to show him where Tim Cleath wanted the well drilled. Doug had to see the property, and especially the access road, in order to prepare a bid for drilling the well.
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