Charlie Landolt made money and enjoyed spending it. He was a friend and I envied him. Charlie and a couple of his partners from south of St. Louis had a company named Land of Lakes. They had projects all over the state with three in Lafayette County. The largest was Lake Lafayette, located south of Odessa. They always had a sales office a couple of miles from the projects, which were normally a lake surrounded by lots. The lake was never built until they had sold enough lots to pay for it. They had a beautiful colored picture of what the project would look like completed hanging on the wall. The lots back then sold for $5,000 to $10,000, with $90 down. Sometimes the salesmen would sell a lot and never have to take the buyer to the actual location of the development.
Charlie called me one day and invited me to come to Kansas City, where he was going to wine and dine the County Assessors who were having a convention in the old Muehlbach Hotel. At that time there was a block long strip of bars on 12th Street located where the Marriott is now. Charlie had rented one of the bars, put a guard on the door, and allowed only assessors and their guest in. Drinks and food were on him for the duration of the Assessor’s Convention. The place was always packed and quite successful for him to meet the assessors in the counties where he was developing projects.
When the convention ended, Charlie asked the owner of the bar what his tab was, and the owner replied, “$12,250.00. Charlie responded, “My lord, what would you take for the place, anyhow?” The owner said he had priced his business at $35,000.00. We drew up a Bill Of Sale for the business and contents that both parties signed, and Charlie gave him a check for $35,000.00. The owner took the check, was walking out the door, when he turned and told Charlie who was back behind the bar, “Mr. Landolt, you still owe me the $12,250.00.”
Jack can be reached at PO Box 40, Oak Grove, MO 64075 or jackremembers@aol.com
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