IN MY HUMBLE OPINION: CHASE INGERSOLL IS AN EVIL BASTARD

I just received a very informative e-mail that has incensed me beyond belief. Per a Judge's order, The City has posted signs at the Grandview Hotel stating that the property has been legally deemed a chronic nuisance and will be closing at 12:01 a.m. on December 14th. The City's post also advises guests to find other accommodations before that time.

Chase Ingersoll, an arrogant twit who thinks himself both witty and clever, posted his own signs next to The City's. Ingersoll's signs read: "No Worries. No closure. Appeal filed. Appeals take about one year. Enjoy your stay at the Grandview. Merry X-mas. Chase Ingersoll."

Even the disbarred Ingersoll must know that filing an appeal by no means guarantees that a closure won't take place. Judge Barra would have to stay his own order to close the hotel and Chase would have to post bond while the appeal is pending. Of course, as always, greater legal minds (and there are many) may disagree. For those of you on Chase's side and believe Ingersoll to be the injured party in this whole mess, remember, NOTHING IS CERTAIN WHEN IT COMES TO THE LEGAL SYSTEM. If justice was certain, and the law expedient, O.J. Simpson would be rotting in a prison cell at the moment instead of playing another round of golf in Malibu.

"So," you say, "What is the big deal? So these folks get evicted? There will be some social service agency out there to take displaced Grandview Guests in." Don't be so sure. My source says that the American Red Cross will not be picking up the slack should these thirty or so people be evicted into the freezing cold a few days before Christmas. Why? The American Red Cross is for disaster relief. Think fire, flood, hurricane, earthquake and so forth. Being conned out of your last dime by an arrogant wannabe lawyer/landlord apparently doesn't count. (In all fairness to the American Red Cross, if it had to pick up the slack and provide shelter for every financially irresponsible citizen in this country it would cease to exist as a relief agency after about five minutes.)

So you say, "Well, they can go to a homeless shelter, right?" Wrong. I am told that due to the extreme cold, shelters in the area are filled to capacity.

Ingersoll has convinced some Grandview residents that they have legal protection that may or may not exist. He has told them "not to worry." He has stated, in writing, there will be "no closure." Ingersoll's fall back should he be proven (once again) wrong? Blame the City. Blame the neighborhood.

Ingersoll has been afforded due process. He was put on the stand and cross examined. The Judge found Ingersoll was not the clear owner of the Hotel, and even if Ingersoll is able to prove just ownership at some point, the Hotel must still close. You can disagree with the Judge. It doesn't change the fact that Ingersoll feels he is apparently above the law, has the power to ignore a Judge's order, and if a few folks freeze to death under a bridge in Peoria (yes, it has happened here in the past) all so that Chase can "prove" himself right, so be it. Keep in mind, Ingersoll has filed a number of motions regarding the Grandview. Thus far, he has lost all of them.

Ingersoll is by no way an innocent party. He knew he was buying a Hotel that had been declared a nuisance and ordered to close. He was happy about it. He stated numerous times to the media that the City's legal pursuit and victory had allowed him to buy the property cheap.

The City, Neighborhood, and Judge are in an impossible situation. If the Hotel is not forced to close, the message to every single slumlord out there will be, "Don't worry about that silly chronic nuisance ordinance. If you are found guilty, just quick claim the property's deedt over to your wife, crack whore, dealer, or dope buddy and fill the joint with poor people in the middle of winter. No worries, Dude."

Seemingly this is all a game to Chase. Chase Ingersoll is trying to game the system. A commenter wrote that Ingersoll was going around City Hall yesterday with a Grinch doll calling City Manager Randy Oliver, "The Grinch who stole Christmas." Ha. Ha. Very clever. Your superior intellect astounds us all.

You want to sink your own ship, Chase? Fine. Take thirty or so folks who don't know any better down with you? In my view, that more than sucks. It is evil.

Merry Xmas, to you too, you stupid, arrogant ass.