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?" > They got it. >