Orange County, CA man files a 104 page, self-represented, $4.5 million dollar lawsuit against neighboring homeowners association and the County of Orange for allegedly failing to protect his view.

Orange County hilltop homeowner claims County records from 1974 indicate that his view plane and the slopes adjacent to his property were specifically planned and approved to be regulated and protected. However, he alleges that over the years the responsible homeowners association and the County negligently allowed new construction and trees to exceed 1974 agreement established height limits and safe slope planting provision regulated by the 1974 conditions for land use records. After over two years of unsuccessful attempts at resolve, he now has filed a Pro Se lawsuit for recovery of damages and enforcement of the 1974 provisions. Mr. Brooks filed his action on July 13, 2004 in Orange County, CA Superior Court, Dept.CX104, Case #04CC00606 and the case was assigned to Judge David C Velasquez.

Orange County, CA (PRWEB) July 16, 2004 -- An Orange County man has filed a 104 page, self-represented, $4.5 million dollar lawsuit against a neighboring homeowners association and the County of Orange for allegedly failing to protect his view and negligently failing to enforce the proper fire and geological safety of area slopes.

Sounds crazy, but it is true. What is even more interesting is this guy may have a winning case. The plaintiff Andrew Brooks has spent over 2 years attempting to get the defendants in his complaint to respond properly and it appears he has a reasonable case supported by historical agreements and fact. According to recently discovered 1974 County of Orange records, the 1974 Planning Commission orchestrated specific view protection for this guys property and others on his street. In the complaint it appears clear that the County was on the road to providing some help with the abatement of some area slope hazards when Mr. Brooks discovered the missing view protection provisions which revealed that, prior to the year 2000 purchase of his hilltop property, the County and the neighboring homeowners association let a height restricted one story be remodeled into a large two-story home that now obstructs the 1974 agreement protected and highly valued Pacific Ocean/Catalina Island views from his property and others on his block. Now the County counsel and the departments responsible for code enforcement and land use regulation are apparently attempting to wash their hands of it all and the neighboring association remains defiant. With the help of Ms. Shirley Grindle, the original 1974 Planning Commissioner responsible for Mr. Brooks area and who is now an active local government watchdog, Orange County Third District Supervisor Bill Campbell has vowed to seek a rezoning of the specific homes in the view plane of the affected properties to prevent further destruction of the 1974 agreement established view, but issues involving the recently remodeled two story home and other related matters are going to court.

In an interesting side story, Mr. Brooks has only a high school education and was in Orange County Foster Care as a teen during the late 1970s. As a teen, Mr. Brooks was removed from an abusive family situation and placed in protective custody by the County of Orange. Mr. Brooks is now a successful business and family man who volunteers much of his time and efforts to non-profit organizations. Coincidentally, his high school counselor is now Orange County Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman James Silva. Supervisor Silva and Mr. Brooks had a surprise 24-year reunion on September 9, 2003 when Mr. Brooks first went before the Board to plead his case and ask for the Boards intervention. The two had never keep in contact since Brooks graduated with honors in 1979 from Los Amigos High School in Fountain Valley, CA. The reunion exchange can be heard online at the Orange County Board Of Supervisors web site in their recorded meeting archives for 09/9/03. Mr. Brooks spoke during the public comment period of the meeting and the reunion exchange follows at the end of the entire board meeting.

However, having friends in high places appears to have provided little benefit when it comes to official matters of government for Mr. Brooks. In addition to filing a lawsuit, Mr. Brooks has requested that the Orange County Grand Jury investigate the situation and Orange County Code Enforcement in general. Recent County of Orange reports reveal lots of problems with code enforcement including a 700 case backlog. The whole story is pretty amazing. A real David vs. Goliath that just might send the realm of Pro Se lawsuits into orbit. Mr. Brooks filed his lawsuit on July 13, 2004 in Orange County, CA Superior Court, Dept.CX104, Case #04CC00606, and the case was assigned to Judge David C Velasquez. The full complaint with exhibits and the County Code Enforcement Reports are now being posted at the new citizen advocacy resource website for Citizens For Responsible Open Government" -- http://www.cfrog.org/ and at the American Homeowners Resource Center" website. -- http://www.ahrc.com/

Contact:
Citizens For Responsible Open Government
mailto:Info@cfrog.org
714-349-4775: Cell
714-731-6261: Fax
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