Architectural Control Committee and no HOA

My question relates to a vacant parcel of land within a Subdivision that has recorded CC&Rs that established an Architectural Control Committee (ACC). The problem is that there was no HOA established and as far as we can tell, no existing ACC. The last recorded info was from 25 years ago. If a person wants to purchase a vacant parcel in this Subdivision and build a house, the CC&R's require approval and sign off by the ACC. But it is apparently 'defunct'. With no HOA to contact and none of the people who were on the ACC 25 years ago still own property in the Subdivision, can the buyer of the lot simply submit his plans to the County Planning and Building Divisions for approval w/o a sign off by the non-existent ACC? Don't want someone coming back later saying he didn't get the needed ACC sign off.

We've tried everything - including trying to locate anyone who was ever on that Committee, as well as the individual who built the most recent home in the subdivision (2 years ago) to see if they got approvals. Even contacted Planning and had them look up the most recent home plan built to see if there was a sign off by the ACC. Hit a brick wall.

Does an attorney need to be involved in this? Any other suggestions?

If no association was ever incorporated, under whose authority was the ACC supposed to operate? What was the ACC's charter? What provisions exist to amend the CCRs? What entity filed the CCRs in the first place?

The CCRs may allow you to incorporate an HOA, or you and your neighbors maybe, after which you can amend the CCRs to dissolve the ACC or change what it is supposed to do.

Perhaps they can, it all depends on what's in those CCRs. I'm just suggesting that perhaps the CCRs mandate that the owners belong to some sort of owners' association and no one ever bothered to set it up, whether incorporated or not. Wouldn't be the first time a developer built a half-baked project and left the homeowners holding the bag.