When I first looked at the dilemma Huckins had put me in back in the spring of 2008, I truthfully thought it was a situation that could be managed if I could find some kind hearts and a can do attitude.
I had paid $30,000 for the 4+ acres. USrey had drilled the well, a septic system was installed but the company that installed it received 2 hot checks from Huckins causing some real concern for a few months in the spring of 2008.
I had 4 "block" walls, no building permits, no electricity and NO money and NO building permits even on the structure started. Though I didn't know how long it would take for the judicial system to get a grip and stop this man from spending or hiding my mothers money, I felt sure that America surely had an adequate judicial system to stop a thief who had not yet had the time to hide the stolen funds.
I knew that with Huckins "time" was my enemy. My mother is too old to be caught up in lengthy criminal trials, and her health is so poor telling her what has happened wasn't an option.
Now, without a builder, a friend advised me that the less costly way would be to try and build an apartment over the top of the existing building walls, but that turned out to be not true.
With ZERO building knowledge, and so ill I felt like I had been picked up by the heels and dipped in age, I decided that, using the theory that "if life gives you lemons you make lemonade" if I could get help putting a roof on the building walls, getting it "dried in" I could work on the inside a little at a time and turn a building into a home.
The Ruidoso News newspaper, especially Dianna Stallings, produced front page articles begging for volunteers, used building supplies, or anyone who may be able to offer a house trailer, modular, anything that could be used for housing.
There was nothing I was going to refuse.
I tried to obtain the condemned "Rafter 11" house after a Granbury, Texas developer purchased the land and built a mall on it. I chased after Katrina modular's/house trailers, applied for owner-financed double wides without success. A local businessman had acquired the old MRI building from the Presbyterian Hospital and I tried to obtain that on an owner-financed arrangement - again without success.
Senator Adair appealed to the building association and Pete & Cheryl from Alto Cafe, not forgetting Larry Blank and Harvey Twite, were a few of the people who went beyond my wildest expectations to try and help us recover from a devastating loss.
An attempt to put in plumbing in the existing building by "volunteers" resulted in it twice failing inspection, at a heavy financial cost, and the plumbing material was left in a heap alongside the arroyo. So I was back to square one again.
But by the winter of 2008/spring of 2009 the economy had started to crumble and I started to worry about the local economy and those who were losing their homes. This was not looking good for anyone, and my heart started to get heavy worrying about the other victims like Dorothy, and Dana who had no hopes of recovery.
Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe. - Frederick Douglass
