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Cheryl Kellmer urges Santa Barbara County supervisors to probe alleged improper trustee filing on Isla Vista property
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Summary
At the April 23 special meeting, Cheryl Kellmer told the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors a document recorded 11/20/2020 names her son’s father as trustee of an Isla Vista apartment complex despite her claim he died on 11/02/2020; she asked the board to enforce the law and said her son was deprived of about $5,000,000.
Cheryl Kellmer told the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors on April 23 that a document filed with the county assessor on Nov. 20, 2020 lists Eric Johnson as the trustee of an Isla Vista apartment complex even though, she said, Johnson died on Nov. 2, 2020. "That's stealing $5,000,000 from my child," Kellmer said during the meeting's general public comment period, and she asked the board to ensure the law is enforced and to review the recorded documents.
Kellmer said the document filed 11/20/2020 appears to give the assessor the impression that Eric Johnson was the trustee and that no record showing her son as a beneficiary or a parent-child exemption has been placed on record. "So why did the new alleged trustee file a document after this man died?" she asked, saying she wanted the board to hold the law firm that recorded the paperwork accountable.
Chair Nelson acknowledged the comment and noted that the matter lies in the district represented by Supervisor Capps. Supervisor Capps told Kellmer the county had connected her with the tax assessor's office and that staff (including a Mr. Hagen) had been in touch; Capps said the board would continue to pursue the matter. Kellmer said she had also contacted the district attorney and said she had already provided documents to the board.
The record of the meeting does not include any board vote or formal action on Kellmer's claim. The board and clerk indicated they would follow up with Kellmer after the meeting. The clerk also reminded members of the public that instructions for providing verbal comment and the Clerk of the Board's contact number (805-568-2240) are on page 2 of the agenda.
Kellmer's statements to the board are a citizen allegation and have not been verified in the meeting record. The board did not make a public finding or take formal action regarding the property, the recorded document, the identity of the trustee, or the $5,000,000 figure during the session; the clerk and supervisors said they would follow up outside the public meeting.
