Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 3, Number 9, 1 September 1986 — NHLC Assists Kona Hawaiian in $45,000 Land Settlement [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

NHLC Assists Kona Hawaiian in $45,000 Land Settlement

"I hope my story wili iet other Hawaiians know what ean happen so they wili protect their land." This is a statement made by native Hawaiian Abraham Moses of Kona foiiowing successful settlement of a land deal worked out by t'he Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation whieh is funded by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs

Moses. 77, was raised ai Honaunau. lt seems that one day īn 1979, he and another man taiked about a pieee of property near īhe oeean in Napoopoo whieh Moses owned. He knew his grandfather owned the property because he had lived there as a child. Later he and his family continued to care for the property over the years. Moses was offered $30.000 for the property and he thought the price was fair. He did not bother to get another opinion on the offer because he considered the other man as almost like a son. Moses felt it would be a good time to sell because no one lived on the iand anymore. Besides, he wanted to pay for his grandchildren's education.

However, there was no final agreement on many issues, irtcluding who would pay the costs of having the legal title cleared. Moses later found himself the subject of a lawsuit by the other man. attempting to have him turn over the land under terms of their incomplete agreement. Moses brought the matter to the attention of OHA and NHLC with the latter working on the case from 1982 to 1986. Foliowing lots o< research, attorney eonferences and exchanges of many letters and telephone calls, bot'h sides were prepared to go to triai. The question remained: Could Moses be forced to give up his land under the incomplete agreement? Finally, both sides agreed that the Kona native wouid be paid $45,000 instead of the original offer of $30,000. lt

was also agreed Moses would pay only a small portion of the cost to have the legal title cleared. Moses paid NHLC for its legal work and these fees went back to OHA so that other native Hawaiians could be similarly helped. Moses urges other Hawaiians to protect their land and try to get to know what they have. "But," he laments, "you know how Hawaiians are: they are so afraid to speak up."

Hapawalu H'ili'i, hamani wale no. A small eighth of a dollar, very smooth to handle. — Mary Kawena Pukui.

Abraham Moses is pictured with, left to right, wife Lily, Office of Hawaiian Affairs Community Resource Specialist Ruby McDonald, West Hawaii, Attorney Winona Tanaka and grandchild.