The Blue Stake That Tried to Steal a 468‑Acre Preserve

The Blue Stake That Tried to Steal a 468‑Acre Preserve Fear that a single blue stake could erase a public 468‑acre nature preserve started with a laminated deed and an 18‑inch fiberglass rod pinned in a parking lot - and that deed was processed through the county system on a Saturday. How did a forged filing, a scaled survey note in six‑point type, and a part‑time clerk's access nearly transfer Aldercreek Preserve to a shell company? In this episode, we walk through the events that began at 5:50 a.m. on September 9, 2014 and followed a nine‑day legal scramble to undo a deed; we detail the people, the procedural gaps, and the tiny printed notation that became central to the trial. Could a single oversight in the county land records office really put public land at risk? Person: Karen Farrell Date: September 9, 2014 Location: Aldercreek Preserve parking lot Case: nine‑day trial over deed transfer Event: deed filed online on Saturday, September 6, 2014 - At 5:50 a.m. on September 9, 2014 Karen Farrell found an 18‑inch blue fiberglass rod with an orange flag and a laminated deed in the Aldercreek Preserve parking lot. - Aldercreek Preserve is a 468‑acre tract whose deed was claimed by an entity named Ridgemont Parcel Holdings. - The survey map commissioned for the false claim was labeled Map 2014‑GC‑0441 and included a 1:2,400 scale notation in six‑point type. - The fraudulent deed filing was processed through the county web portal on Saturday, September 6, 2014 when the records office was closed. - Michael Roberts, a 24‑year‑old part‑time filing assistant hired in early 2014, had accessed parcel records for Aldercreek outside his duties before the scheme was discovered. To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].