In 1967 a landlord found the Hell’s Angels tough to evict

The rent was paid on time, but police were regular visitors, called to the place when wild weekend parties were held.

Landlord W.H. LaBand was in a bind when he decided to evict renters of his Alta Loma ranch in 1967. The tenants’ lease was up on April 1, but LaBand wanted them out. The problem was the place was the headquarters for the “Berdoo” chapter of the Hells Angels MC. The property was an 80-acre former citrus orchard with an old two-story house. LaBand rented the property through a realty office to what he thought was a family, but soon discovered the truth.

The odds of getting them off his property improved when the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department raided the hangout and arrested 21 people. The early morning raid, on Feb. 18, 1967, apprehended 13 men and eight women, and found marijuana, 21 firearms, switchblade knives and ammunition. Two days before, a deputy arrested HA Charles “Crazy Chuck” Forsyth and “found with what was thought to be marijuana” on his clothing. Cops determined they had “probable cause to suspect more." LaBand never had to confront the Hell’s Angels about leaving. To his great relief the ranch house in Alta Loma was abandoned.

The club “left it a monument to vandalism,” according to the Sun-Telegram on April 27.