Moorpark city council members know right from wrong, so they're capable of solving a mess that's brewing downtown.

Some business partners who want to open a new veterinary office in Moorpark are between a rock and a hard place (see story on page 1).

They needed a site for their new enterprise and somebody-possibly a member of the city's planning department-suggested a parcel of land that included a vacant house and several other structures on Leta Yancy Road. The purchase went through.

The title showed no restrictions, so the buyer was left unaware that the city in 1996 had planned a widening project for Unidos Avenue, which, in turn, would eventually condemn the existing home and possibly future structures for the parcel on the corner of Leta Yancy Road and Unidos.

It's hard to believe, but nobody knew about the predicament until the architect filed an application with the city's planning department. By then, it was too late.

The property had already been bought.

Imagine the frustration of the investors. If you'll pardon the pun, they bought a white elephant to open a new veterinary office.

There's plenty of blame to go around, but it's incredible--and almost criminal--that the restriction wasn't duly noted in the title report.

We're confident the city council will do its best to find a solution. Even in the case of right versus wrong, however, the council must do what's right for the good of all the people.

These kinds of unfortunate events are the reasons lawyers exist.

Sometimes people make mistakes.