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Firestorm 2003 Archive

Fire Victims Rebuilding Homes Dispute Property Lines

Original Develop Surveyed Land Incorrectly

POSTED: 5:19 pm PDT May 13, 2004
UPDATED: 8:30 am PDT May 14, 2004

Fire victims who lost their homes during the October wildfires have faced many tribulations. Now, some are facing even more. Homeowners having to rebuild their houses are discovering that their property lines were wrong.

Gino Howell

Gino Howell, (pictured, left), is one of hundreds of homeowners in Harrison Park who just discovered his property lines his family lived within before the Cedar Fire are off.

During the 1920s, the original developer did not properly survey the land when it was subdivided. Now, 381 neighbors, many of whom lost their homes in the fire, can't rebuild until the property line disputes are settled.

County Supervisor Dianne Jacob said, "I have urged residents within Harrison Park to sit down and determine where they thought their property lines are and draw up an agreement. Then, it's a done deal."

Most of the fire victims agreed to use the historic property lines and settle out of court. However, in Howell's case, agreements have not been easy to come by.

Howell and several other people who live on Iron Springs Road said one woman refuses to work with them.

Donna Bernard refused to talk to 10News about the disagreement. But, Howell said if she is successful in taking his land, he won't have enough left to legally build a home and install a septic system.

"(My property) was 80 feet by 80 feet, fence line to fence line, but if she takes 30 feet of that, I'm 'unbuildable.' I can't build," Howell said.

Jacob, who met with fire victims Thursday, said she is committed to helping resolve these disputes so everyone can rebuild their homes and their lives.

The county will hold another meeting with property owners a week from Monday in Julian and try to resolve the differences. But, if they cannot come to an agreement, legal battles could delay the rebuilding of their homes.

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