Freedom for the Reels Brothers!: February 2017

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Citizens Moral March for Carteret County

BEAUFORT, NC --- The family of the Reels brothers will be speaking at a peaceful, non-partisan Citizens Moral March for Carteret County will be held 11:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturday, March 11, 2017 in Beaufort, NC.

The focus for this march is on emphasizing common concerns on issues affecting our county, state and country including equality; social, environmental and economic justice. The rally will include multiple speakers addressing concerns including jobs, education, health care, mental health and substance abuse treatment and protecting our Crystal Coast.

Marchers are asked to gather at 11:00 am at Grayden Paul Park on Front Street (across from Beaufort Town Hall and BB&T Bank) the half-mile march begins at noon and ends with a rally at the Carteret County Courthouse. For further information please call 860-671-1278 or visit our “Citizens Moral March for Carteret County” Facebook page.

Brothers make stand for Family Home

Imagine being in jail for since March 17, 2011 with little prospect of release. Your crime? Refusing to vacate land which you believe has been in your family for 60 years. Melvin Davis and LiCurtis Reels are convinced a development firm illegally seized their land by misusing the Torrens Act. They are being held for contempt of court and are incarcerated in Beaufort, NC.

The Reels Family believe their land was taken from them through the misuse of the Torrens Act. Gertrude Reels' grandfather Elijah Reels bought the land in 1911, but lost it to back taxes in 1944. So, his son, Mitchell Reels, bought the land from the county [in 1944].

When Mitchell Reels died in 1970, leaving no will, his heirs, including daughter Gertrude, believed the land was theirs. Two of Gertrude's sons, Melvin Davis and Licurtis Reels, built houses on the land.

Then, Mitchell Reels' brother, Shedrick Reels from New Jersey, came in to the picture. He presented a deed to the land saying his dad, Elijah Reels, wanted him to have it. The deed was dated 1950 – six years after Eljah lost the land and Mitchell purchased it.

In 1978, the Reels family hired a local attorney to represent them against the claim by Shedrick. They won the case. The court ruled that 1944 deed was the legitimate claim.

In 1979, a Torrens Act certificate was obtained from Shedrick, who had no legal claim to the land. The certificate stated that the Reels have no objection to giving the a parcel of land to the developers.

The Torrens Act is used when land is in dispute. During such an action, all the heirs to the land should be notified, and a new claim is registered to the new owner. None of the Reels family in Merrimon were notified. Eventually, this parcel was purchased by the Adam Creek Associates.

Melvin Davis and Licurtis Reels were incarcerated when they refused to destroy their homes and leave the land after the courts ruled that Adams Creek Associates legally owns it. The family has continued to fight this ruling.