In November 2017, Ronald Owens and Elizabeth Naylor took out a mortgage on their San Francisco house, from Pacific Private Money (more on that later), a "hard money loan". The terms were $500,000 at 10.5% interest, with a due date in 2 years. Less than a year later, in September 2018, Owens and Naylor modified the loan, borrowing an additional $100,000, also at 10.5% These loans were both through a "real estate broker" and "thus exempt from usury laws."

These mortgages are listed on u/BigTiffDog's spreadsheet:

Excerpt of BigTiffDog's spreadsheet showing mortgages in question

Two months later, in November 2018, Owens and Naylor took out a 3rd mortgage against the house for another $850,000. This was ON TOP of the two mortgages discussed above. But today, we're looking at the Nov 2017 and Sep 2018 mortgages.

These mortgages were both "non-traditional," or not offered through conventional banks like Bank of America or Wells Fargo: these lenders are private party lenders.

But look at the "release date" in the table above: these loans were "reconveyed" by Pacific Private Money 6 years after the Owens/Naylor debtors sold the house. That seems a little odd, doesn't it?

Mark Hanf signs reconveyance doc, recorded March 2, 2026

That lender, Pacific Private Money, abruptly closed shop in February 2026, at about the same time this reconveyance was suspiciously recorded 6 years after the house had already sold. https://web.archive.org/web/20261001182213/https://www.sfchronicle.com/realestate/article/pacific-private-money-mark-hanf-21938614.php

Pacific Private Money filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Northern District of California https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73491347/pacific-private-money-inc/ on June 16, 2026.

Pacific Private Money Inc's website https://www.pacificprivatemoney.com/ says that they "have discontinued operations and are no longer providing loans of any type." (There is plenty of content on them on the internet archive site however, and the last capture of good data is here: https://web.archive.org/web/20260411020147/https://www.pacificprivatemoney.com/ )

And >>>>> on September 1, 2026, the founder and CEO of Pacific Private Money, Mark Hanf, was criminally charged with wire fraud and money laundering. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/founder-and-ceo-bay-area-real-estate-investment-fund-charged-multi-year-fraud-scheme The US Government alleges that Hanf and one other were involved in "a multi-year conspiracy to defraud Pacific Private Money investors by making false statements about the enterprise’s financial condition to induce investment into the enterprise’s funds." Hanf pleaded guilty on September 30, 2026.

The Government says in the release linked above "The information also alleges that part of the scheme involved Hanf transferring funds from the Pacific Private Money enterprise to another entity that he controlled to pay for his own personal expenses, such as credit card bills and home mortgage payments."

Hum. 👀

The Government also said defendants agreed to pay restitution of over $71 million. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/mark-hanf-and-coo-novato-based-pacific-private-money-agree-they-are-responsible-least

More coverage: https://nypost.com/2026/09/02/us-news/bay-area-executives-indicted-in-alleged-103m-ponzi-scheme/

______________________

NOTE: I am not saying that Owens or Naylor were involved in the money laundering or wire fraud schemes, only that their lender has been charged and pleaded guilty to that.

Philadelphia beginnings

When Ronn Owens appeared in The Temple University “Templar” yearbook for the Class of 1967, he already looked very busy. His yearbook shows him being active in many clubs, including the Carnival Committee, vice chancellor of Tau Epsilon Phi, rush co-chairman, the Pre-Law Society, and nearly every intramural sport the campus offered—from baseball and basketball to football, track, volleyball, and bowling. [1]

Just over a year later, in the summer of 1968, he made what appears to have been his first appearance on the public stage — not over the airwaves, but in print. In a sardonic letter to the editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Owens criticized an editorial that denounced the Pennsylvania delegation to the Republican National Convention, revealing his outspokenness and willingness to engage publicly with current events.[2]

By February 1969, Owens had joined WCAU Radio in Philadelphia,[3] apparently after leaving a short-lived career teaching fifth grade.  He would later say that radio was his calling.

By October 1969, Owens was featured in a series of ads by WCAU radio, part of a series of "Your [boss, husband, etc.] is probably listening to [radio host]."  The ads for Owens read:

>"Your beautiful wife is probably listening to Ronn Owens .” [4]

It was ads like these that likely helped fuel rumors of his personal life, which soon became a frequent topic of news coverage, perhaps even encouraged by Owens himself: in December 1969, the Philadelphia Daily News reported rumors that he had married. [5] A week later, Owens denied those reports. [6]  But these mentions of his bachelorhood were not isolated.

On to Miami

In early March 1970, the Philadelphia Daily News reported that Owens had left Philadelphia for Miami. The article also makes the first known mention of “racing,” assumed to be horse racing:

>“RADIO-TV RAMBLE: Racing buff [Ronn] Owens transfers his allegiance from Liberty Bell to Hialeah. Ronn, a bachelor, gave up his WCAU radio show for the greener pastures of Florida. He resumes his two-way talk career Monday at WKAT Radio, Miami.” [7]

Owens also got a mention that same month in The Miami News: “Ronn Owens, 24, of WCAU, Philadelphia, is new and will have the 6-10 p.m. spot.” [8]

In January 1971, the Philadelphia Daily News reported that the former WCAU talk-show host, now working at WKAT in Miami, was engaged to be married in April to [redacted] of [city redacted, Florida]:

>"The impending loss of his once-prized bachelorhood has not been a humbling influence, however. Boasts Ronn, "The Miami Beach suicide rate amongst eligible broads has already tripled." [9]

Shocking. Regardless, the engagement was formally announced six days later in The Miami Herald, [10] as was news of the wedding in March [11], not April as printed in the Philadelphia article. (Was this a sleight of hand by Owens to avoid divulging the true wedding date to the reporter?)

In November 1971, Owens was announced as the new host of a drive-time radio show in Cleveland, Ohio, [12] and State of Florida records show a divorce recorded on December 29, 1971, making it a marriage of approximately nine months. [13]

On to Cleveland

By May 1973, Owens, now living in a Cleveland-area apartment, was featured in a newspaper article about renting furniture. The article begins:

>“ ‘My ex-wife took the furniture. Boy, did she EVER take the furniture!’

>Ronn Owens says that this is the reason he outfitted his large apartment with rented furniture when he moved recently to Greenwood Village in Sagamore Hills.

>A radio personality with Cleveland station WJW, Owens did blend his rented furnishings with a few pieces of his own — and he’s having a unit of shelving custom-built to house his record collection, estimated at more than 2,000 albums.

>Owens has definite tastes in interiors and has used a low-keyed color scheme of gold, white and black in the living room. He chose glass and stainless steel tables to go with the contemporary sofa and chair, all from Northeast We Rent Furniture in Euclid.

>Owens considers the cost of renting furniture to be reasonable, as do others who use this growing service.

>“If you get tired of what you have, you can change without being stuck with a house full of furniture you own,” he said. [14]

Later in 1973, his second engagement was announced. The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio) newspaper reported in November that Owens was to be married again, [15] only for those plans to be canceled by December. [16]

In July 1974, Owens and three others were let go from WJW Radio. A newspaper reporter from The Cleveland Press called Owens to ask what his plans were, and “a young woman answered Owens’ phone when [the reporter] called him at his condominium….” [17]

On to Atlanta

By October 1974, newspapers began to mention “The Ronn Owens Show” on WRNG radio in Atlanta, Georgia. [18]

On May 12, 1975, The Atlanta Journal published an article titled “Don't Overlook New 'Citywatching.’” The author describes a new television show as similar to “60 Minutes.” Owens has a featured segment on this show, along with Wade Lowe, described as a “craftsman.” [19] On May 28, 1975, a lawsuit for conversion was filed in Fulton County Superior Court, captioned “Lowe vs Ring Radio Company,” and Owens (under his birth name) is named as a defendant. [20] The specific complaint and the disposition of the case are not known.  (This will be updated as new information becomes available.) 

On October 14, 1975, the last known instance of an ad promoting “The Ronn Owens Show” runs in an Atlanta newspaper [21] before Owens heads out west.

Next: Part 2.  We’ll pick up in San Francisco.

_____________________________________

[1] Templar 1967, Temple University Yearbook (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 1967, p 357 

[2] Owens, Ronn, "United Front," The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), August 17, 1968, p 6 

[3] Conlin, Jack, "Advertising Notes," The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), February 13, 1969, p 30

[4] WCAU 1210 Radio, "Your Beautiful Wife is Probably Listening to Ronn Owens 2:00 AM - 6:00 AM" Advertisement, The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), October 22, 1969, p 24

[5] Petzold, Charles, "Video Can't Take Country out of Ed," Philadelphia Daily News, (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), December 3, 1969, p 33

[6] Petzold, Charles, "Film, Tate Arrests Have Satanic Link" Philadelphia Daily News, (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), December 10, 1969, p 39

[7] Petzold, Charles, "Everything's Going MacRae" Philadelphia Daily News, (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), March 2, 1970, p 43

[8] Kelly, Herb, "Gleason and Beverly sail alone on yacht," The Miami News (Miami, Florida), March 7, 1970, p 7-A

[9] Petzold, Charles, "Club Screens Clients -- For Later View" Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), January 11, 1971, p 23

[10] "Engagements Announced by Parents," The Miami Herald (Miami, Florida), January 17, 1971, p 32-G

[11] "Couples Exchange Wedding Vows," The Miami Herald (Miami, Florida),  March 29, 1971, p 6-D 

[12] Hart, Raymond P., "New Host of WERE Drive-Time Show Takes the Wheel Today," The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio), November 15, 1971,  p 9-D 

[13] State of Florida, Divorce Index, 1927 – 2001

[14] Barnhouse, Nan, "Furnished for a Fee: Rented Decor Fits Life Style of Athletes," The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio), May 2, 1973, p 2-C

[15] "John Twomey, manualist, due on TV Tuesday," The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio), November 10, 1973, p 3-B

[16] Hart, Raymond P., "Job offer, contract time put Doug Adair up in air," The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio), December 1, 1973, p 3-C

[17] Barrett, Bill, "TV-Radio: Ronn Owens' ego trip: from WERE to WJW to ?", The Cleveland Press (Cleveland, Ohio), July 27, 1974, p B-8  

[18] "Week's Radio Highlights," The Atlanta Journal (Atlanta, Georgia), October 5, 1974, p 2-G

[19] Goodman, Bob, "Don't Overlook Citywatching," The Atlanta Journal (Atlanta, Georgia), May 12, 1975, p 7-B

[20] Lowe vs Ring Radio Company, Case C06864, Fulton County Superior Court,  May 28, 1975

[21] WRNG Radio Advertisement "Talk To…," The Atlanta Journal (Atlanta, Georgia), October 14, 1975, p 15-A

WCAU 1210 Radio Advertisement, October 20, 1969

Petzold, Charles, \"Club Screens Clients -- For Later View\" Philadelphia Daily News, (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), January 11, 1971, p 23

Ronn Owens had a long career at KGO radio, beginning in about 1975. However, documents from the San Francisco City Recorder show at least two judgments issued against Ron/Ronn Owens in 1977.

Records show the first judgment was issued on June 7, 1977, for a total of $1,472.99 from The Credit Bureau of Georgia. The second judgment was issued on October 4, 1977, for a total of $1,420.23 from Wells Fargo Bank. Both judgments were then recorded on June 13, 1977, and October 19, 1977, respectively. (The Recorder's Office is separate from the courts.)

Documents also show a release of lien from The Credit Bureau of Georgia was recorded on November 30, 1978.

These two recorded documents indicate court cases in the (now defunct) San Francisco Municipal Court, which adjudicated these judgments against Ron/Ronn Owens. However, the first judgment for The Credit Bureau of Georgia MAY indicate that a case was filed in Atlanta, Georgia.

https://preview.redd.it/ewf28xvz78fh1.jpg?width=2480&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5592fdec63e0a26d5835f96228284bef113c071c

https://preview.redd.it/n9r1fxx088fh1.jpg?width=2480&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=88696114d75c77bb115fcafa8667fbe6c9b7a695

It's 12:01 am in Arizona on July 7, 2026.

Yesterday, July 6, was the deadline for debtors Elizabeth Naylor and Ronald Owens to pay a $600 installment on the filing fee for their Chapter 11 bankruptcy. As of now, the PACER docket does not show a payment, and the deadline to request an extension has already passed.

The May 22 court order governing the filing fee installment (link above) says:

>"IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the failure to pay any installment in a timely manner, coupled with a failure to timely request an extension of time for the payment of the installment shall result in dismissal of this case."

Elizabeth Naylor filed for a motion for voluntary dismissal of this case on June 24, and the judge said on July 1 that the motion was improper. The judge further ordered the debtors to turn over all receipts and payments on the GoFundMe to the US Trustee by July 10. The hearing on the motion for voluntary dismissal is scheduled for August 6.

So, is this non-payment of the filing fee installment a backdoor attempt to get the case dismissed so that the debtors do not have to provide documents to the US Trustee? If so, are the debtors sailing into "contempt of court" territory, and maybe a conversion to a Chapter 7 liquidation, among other various unpleasantries?

There is a Status Conference today, July 7. The debtors were ordered to send a copy of the notice of the status conference to other parties (counsel, creditors), but as of now, no proof of service has been filed. This status conference could get interesting.

UPDATE: At the 10:30 status conference today, July 7, Jan said she had made the payment and has a receipt. However, as of 11:07 a.m., that payment still does not appear in PACER.

Yesterday, June 1, 2026, in the Elizabeth Naylor and Ronn Owens bankruptcy case (the second case), Capital One Bank filed a claim for $31,621.20. Capital One was not listed in the new bankruptcy petition, but this bank filed a claim regardless.

Capital One also filed a claim in the previous bankruptcy case (Claim 12). The previous claim was also for $31,621.20.

https://preview.redd.it/5hob936yey4h1.png?width=1618&format=png&auto=webp&s=3920c8afeaa5ec3e262dd45fee025a4da1e54db8

Public foreclosure sources today say that the foreclosure of the Owens' home has been rescheduled to July 28, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.

The listing now says" Active - postponed" and lists the new date.

Today on the San Francisco docket, MM's attorney Omar S has filed a motion for attorney fees.

HEARING SET FOR JUL-20-2026 AT 9:00 AM IN DEPT 405A.

https://preview.redd.it/4wwc4oef27zg1.png?width=2402&format=png&auto=webp&s=2e0512bfa3f56b341866689a947cc3844f6a5e6d

Source: https://webapps.sftc.org/ci/CaseInfo.dll?CaseNum=FDV18813693&SessionID=D9F389F2A8A4E2ABB55642A22BEBC1DE6E4E05D7