▁the ▁ran cho ▁abandoned . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 1 , ▁P ico ' s ▁brother - in - law , ▁John ▁For ster , ▁claim ing ▁to ▁be ▁acting ▁as ▁P ico ' s ▁agent , ▁sold ▁Ran cho ▁Jam ul ▁to ▁Bon ifa cio ▁L ope z , ▁Philip ▁Cro st h wa ite ▁( L ope z ▁son - in - law ), ▁Richard ▁R ust , ▁and ▁William ▁E . ▁R ust . ▁ ▁However , ▁it ▁does ▁not ▁appear ▁that ▁anything ▁was ▁ever ▁done ▁in ▁performance ▁of ▁the ▁contract ▁by ▁anyone . ▁ ▁But ▁this ▁was ▁the ▁cause ▁latter ▁of ▁extensive ▁lit ig ation ▁concerning ▁ownership ▁of ▁Ran cho ▁Jam ul . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁c ession ▁of ▁California ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁following ▁the ▁Mexican - American ▁War , ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 8 ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Gu ad alu pe ▁H idal go ▁provided ▁that ▁the ▁land ▁gr ants ▁would ▁be ▁hon ored . ▁ ▁As ▁required ▁by ▁the ▁Land ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 8 5 1 , ▁a ▁claim ▁for ▁two ▁square ▁le agues ▁by ▁P ío ▁P ico ▁for ▁Ran cho ▁Jam ul ▁was ▁file d ▁with ▁the ▁Public ▁Land ▁Commission ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 2 , ▁but ▁was ▁rejected ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 5 ▁on ▁the ▁grounds ▁of ▁ins u fficient ▁documentation ▁of ▁the ▁grant . ▁ ▁P ico ▁claimed ▁his ▁papers ▁were ▁lost ▁in ▁an ▁Indian ▁attack ▁on ▁the ▁Ran cho . ▁ ▁While ▁station ed ▁in