CLAYTON 鈥 Brian Boettler was trying to sell his Ladue home earlier this spring when a surprise lien turned up on his property.
Two people he didn鈥檛 know had filed a notice with St. 亚洲无码 County claiming they were the rightful owners of his multimillion-dollar Tudor-style manor on Litzsinger Road. Without clearing the challenge, Boettler couldn鈥檛 sell his property.
鈥淭he craziest thing is we received no letter, nothing, from the county. Our title company never received any paperwork,鈥 Boettler said. 鈥淭here was no way to even tell unless you went and physically did a title lien search.鈥
Boettler, it ends up, owns one of the St. 亚洲无码 County homes targeted by a couple who contend they are part of a private nation and not governed by U.S. laws. The document they filed with the county recorder, they said, follows 鈥渕aritime law鈥 and grants them ownership of eight properties and a 2022 Honda Accord.
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Ronnie Ramael Todd and Janae Rocquel Motley filed the notarized document Dec. 6 with the county recorder.
In a lawsuit filed Tuesday, the county asked a judge to render Todd and Motley鈥檚 notice invalid.
But Todd said he鈥檚 not a United States citizen, and he doesn鈥檛 recognize its laws.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e suing me, but I鈥檓 part of a foreign nation,鈥 Todd said in a phone call Wednesday. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 sue me because I鈥檓 not part of the United States.鈥
Motley and Todd, who also goes by Ramael El, identify as part of a group called the Moors. The Southern Poverty Law Center considers it an extremist group and a branch of the 鈥渟overeign citizen鈥 movement. Its members theorize Black people are part of a private nation and don鈥檛 believe they are bound by United States laws.
Members have committed financial fraud and clashed with authorities since the group was founded in 1990.
Moors have nationwide, causing headaches for homeowners and courts and sometimes leading to violent interactions with police and awkward confrontations with homeowners.
Todd said he traveled from Phoenix to St. 亚洲无码 to help Motley file the notice asserting their ownership of the properties.
In the notice, Todd describes himself as 鈥渁 Private people called Moor americas aboriginal manahatan (new yorker) national, A Emporer, A Master Merchant, a Master Mason, A Shereef, God a Admiral, a Seamen, A Piloter, A Commander.鈥 And there are similar titles for Motley, who is described as Todd鈥檚 wife in the notice.
Todd and Motley used maritime law and treaties, some from the 18th century, to question the validity of the U.S. Constitution. The document includes references to the 1836 Treaty of Peace with Morocco and the Treaty of Tripoli of 1796, among others.
Under those laws and treaties, the listed properties must be transferred to Todd and Motley 鈥渇or the present enjoyment use and possession,鈥 their notice states. The homes and car are described as 鈥淐aptured/Seized/Prised Possession/Condemned/abandoned vessel.鈥
Some of the homes are fancy. Boettler鈥檚 home is worth nearly $5 million, according to the real estate website Zillow. Three others have pools and hot tubs.
But some are more modest. One is a four-bedroom, two-bath home in Florissant, and another in Brentwood is a three-bedroom with two baths.
Todd said he and Motley picked some homes they thought were unoccupied. The others, Motley picked out because she liked them, Todd said.
They鈥檝e never been to the homes, Todd said. But he said he鈥檚 testing the courts.
鈥淚 want them to refute my deed,鈥 he said. 鈥淟et鈥檚 see whose deed is stronger.鈥
The county鈥檚 lead attorney, Dana Redwing, declined to comment on pending litigation.
So far, three homeowners, including Boettler, have sued Todd and Motley in St. 亚洲无码 County courts. In each case, a judge ruled in the homeowners鈥 favor, declaring Todd and Motley鈥檚 claims of ownership invalid and ordering them to pay attorney and legal fees.
But it causes an unexpected, costly and time-consuming problem for homeowners.
Boettler spent about $10,000 over a few months on lawyers and court fees clearing the title to his home. The house never sold, and it鈥檚 off the market now.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just a huge waste of money,鈥 he said.