Another case of beauracracy standing in the way of common sense!

     _A New Orleans lawyer sought an FHA loan for a client.  He was
     told the loan would be granted if he could prove satisfactory
     title to a parcel of property being offered as collateral.  The
     title to the property dated back to 1803, which took the lawyer
     three months to track down.


     After sending the information to the FHA, he received the
     following reply (actual letter):

     "Upon review of your letter adjoining your client's loan
     application, we note that the request is supported by an Abstract
     of Title.  While we compliment the able manner in which you have
     prepared and presented the application, we must point out that you
     have only cleared title to the proposed collateral back to 1803.
     Before final approval can be accorded, it will be necessary to
     clear the title back to its origin."


     Annoyed, the lawyer responded as follows (actual letter):

     "Your letter regarding title in Case No. 189156 has been
     received.  I note that you wish to have title extended further
     than the 194 years covered by the present application.  I was
     unaware that any educated person in this country, particularly
     those working in the property area, would not know that Louisiana
     was purchased by the U. S. from France in 1803, the year of
     origin identified in our application.

     For the edification of uninformed FHA bureaucrats, the title to
     the land prior to U. S. ownership was obtained from France, which
     had acquired it by Right of Conquest from Spain.  The land came
     into possession of Spain by Right of Discovery made in the year
     1492 by a sea captain named Christopher Columbus, who had been
     granted the privilege of seeking a new route to India by the then
     reigning monarch, Isabella.  The good queen, being a pious woman
     and careful about titles, almost as much as the FHA, took the
     precaution of securing the blessing of the Pope before she sold
     her jewels to fund Columbus' expedition.  Now the Pope, as I'm
     sure you know, is the emissary of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
     And God, it is commonly accepted, created this world.  Therefore,
     I believe it is safe to presume that He also made that part of
     the world called Louisiana. He, therefore, would be the owner of
     origin.  I hope ... you find His original claim to be
     satisfactory.

     Now, may we have our ... loan?"