Mexicans evict Americans
PRESS RELEASE
February 19, 2009
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With all the violence reported recently in Baja California now comes the eviction of over 100 American families from Rancho Ensenada Community Park on the Bay of Todos Santos.
The 100 families have become a pawn in a legal
battle between Mexico’s third largest selling Tequila Distillery and
the famous name of Hussong. Since 1962, the land in question has
been managed by the Walter Hussong family and an agreement with the
Oredain family, the owners of the property. Through several
generations, all seemed well. However, recently the Orendain family
sued the Hussong entity to dissolve the alleged lifelong management
agreement. The Orendain Corporation won its victory in court just
last week, when a Mexican court ruled the Hussong family must return
management rights to the corporation.
Residents of Rancho Ensenada, some who have lived there thirty years (30) have an existing 10 year lease with the current management company. These homes are not just trailers like the ones established in 1962. These are mobile homes with casitas attached. Some are two stories measuring two thousand square feet with all the amenities of a gated retirement community. Residents pay for yearly home and car insurance, many have FM-3 residency cards.
For the past twelve months, the Orendain attorneys have met with the home owners, indicating they would be willing to renegotiate contracts with them once the court decision was made in their favor. Now comes an announcement that the Orendain corporation, victorious in its court battle, has actually sold the land to the state of Baja for an undisclosed amount of money. The state wants the land to extend a highway along the beach to alleviate heavy truck traffic though downtown Ensenada.
Residents were informed last night, Wednesday, they have until February 23, next Monday to get out, evicted by the state of Baja. No compensation, no extension of time. Attorneys representing the home owners say the current lease is a binding agreement but the state has refused to acknowledge those documents. The State has refused to even talk with the residents or their attorneys. Orendain attorneys are no where to be found.
Residents stand to lose their homes not to mention thousands of dollars in household goods, appliances and furniture. If the state of Baja is concerned about recent negative publicity involving murder, beheadings, kidnapping, and extortion, they only have to look in its own backyard policies of greed and total disregard to residing Americans. The residents are pleading with the US consulate in Tijuana for intervention, anything to gain time so they can pack up and leave in a timely manner.
Clint Houston- (Texas)
Gail Thompson- (San Diego)
Barbara Bennett- (Ensenada)
Victoria Petrovich-(San Diego)
The above are all long time home owners in Ensenada available for interviews.
The GPS location of the gated community on Google Earth is; 31 N 45’52. 12 N ---116 36’ 24.33 W
Attorney representing Orendain in Ensenada-Hector Gonzales Leon.
Attorney representing Home Owners in Ensenada Carlos Cota
US Consulate Tijuana 011-52- Carlos Berra.
First Court Ensenada, Judge Salvador Riosevela
