Comment

Comment by Finnbear on January 17, 2012 at 7:29am

It appears Wishgard is now targeting Lake County

http://gomarcellusshale.com/groups/2274639:Group:222346?xg_source=m...

Comment by Ed Ganelli on January 17, 2012 at 7:21am

I'd agree that visits to the site have dropped recently - there just isn't any new news or info being posted for now.  Most who have been members of this site have read again and again most of what has been brought up here in the past few days (until yesterday, it had been a week since I posted last, actually - nothing new to say, so no need to).  It;s the NEW members who find this useful, though - since yesterday, I've had 4 members who are brand new to the site contact me or add me on here...it's THEY who need info the rest of us have already seen on here.

Bill...you're ABSOLUTELY right about having a good attorney look over any lease!  In a discussion I had recently with my State representative (Casey Kozlowski), he said that consulting an attorney before committing to anything is his first advice to them.  This has been stated many, MANY times throughout this site, but it's something that can't be repeated enough...

Comment by Bill Simpson on January 17, 2012 at 7:01am

I tend to agree with Joe about less and less people responding to or possibly viewing this site. I believe that most land owners like myself just want to know what groups are out there, payment, lease,royalty info etc. Attending a meeting is probably next to best thing besides having a good attorney look at the lease being offered. This site is getting a little bit away from the main reason it was started.

Comment by Finnbear on January 17, 2012 at 6:39am

The Lake County group has been approved.

Lake County, OH

Comment by Ed Ganelli on January 17, 2012 at 2:31am

Well said, Bill...I couldn't agree with you more!

You, I, and many others on this site can (and often have) have honest debates about differing viewpoints and opinions, and nobody ever sees a problem with it.  Why?  Because none of us have some underlying agenda that benefits ourselves!  WishGard, their agents, and other flipper companies and their reps DO, however, have an agenda - the promotion of their company for the $25 an acre commission they receive.  If they spread misinformation, half-truths and sometimes outright lies, they should expect to be argued against with cold, hard facts.  I know of 9 people so far on this site that have contacted me here, and several others who have contacted me via e-mail or in person, who were strongly considering leasing to WishGard until they read through posts on this site.  NONE of these decided to sign, and are instead spreading the same facts I've presented to their friends, neighbors and other contacts.  That's roughly 15 landowners (if each convinced just 2 others to reconsider leasing to flippers, it's 45) with a little over 2000 acres that WishGard DIDN'T get...how can that be a bad thing for anyone other WishGard and their agents?

WishGard doesn't just send people from their home office area to seek leases...they recruit local people who already have businesses, contacts, and the trust of those in the targetted areas.  I don't fault any of these people at first - it looks like easy money with no victim - but sooner or later these local reps have to see that they are marketing a product to people they know and who respect them that is backed by nothing and in the long run is detrimental to a landowners best interests.  Some quit working for WishGard at this point, those who continue as WishGard reps anyways will find out eventually that the leasing boom in their area has run it's course, and they'll have to return to the occupations they were in before Wishgard hit the area.  Have any of then ever considered how much their affiliation with WishGard will affect their standings as a respected businessperson then?

I know several have grown tired of the constant back and forth between site members such as myself and WishGard reps...I can understand this!  However, new people sign up to this site daily seeking information, and the continued debate about all flipper companies is best kept as recent as possible - as the site grows, it becomes more and more difficult to go back through countless sections, pages and threads to find information.  If just one person each day is able to quickly and easily find factual information that keeps them from making a rash decision and signing their valuable mineral rights away to disreputable companies and/or land agents, then I do believe it was all worth it!

Comment by Ed Ganelli on January 16, 2012 at 10:29pm

Cyber-bullying???  By pointing out facts to people who come to this site and not backing down from the abusive attacks that are then put on here by Adam Thomas and other WishGard reps?  It's quite odd that you mentioned those of us who are anti-WishGard by name, but "forgot" to add Adam in there!  I looked back through some of your posts...you seem to be pushing WishGard quite often yourself, so I'm guessing you're just one more WishGard rep...

Tom, Bill and I all disagree about the splitting of shallow and deep rights in a lease, yet we've debated it throughout the day yesterday with NO animosity towards each other - differing opinions don't mean that I dislike either of them (I actually respect their thoughts and opinions).

I DO have a huge problem with a company like WishGard, though!  Any company that looks to take advantage of others is, in my opinion, a predatory business.  I've been to their "educational" meetings...heard the high-pressure sales pitch to landowners, and heard the one thing that is the biggest lie they say at these sign-ups - "This area is unproven!  If you wait, it may prove decent and you'll get better money...but if it proves useless, you'll get nothing.  Better to sign now with WishGard for 1600 and be guaranteed of getting at least that much then, and since the real money is in the royalties anyways, does it matter that much?"  If the area's useless, then WishGard will get nothing for their leases, so neither will the landowners who sign with them!  Royalties?  Landowners at BEST have a 60 - 75% chance of ever being included in a drilling unit, and no guarantee even for those that it will be anytime soon!  WishGard is leasing without the financial backing to pay for their leases.  If brokers on Wall Street are not allowed to invest unless they can show they have the resources to meet call, then why should WishGard be able to do basically the same?  One needs only to look at what is happening in Michigan between landowners and Chesapeake to see an easy comparison with what WishGard does - Chesapeake set up shell companies then didn't pay when the area was worthless.  Now Chesapeake is being sued.  Their defense is that this is common practice in the O & G industry.  The landowners assertion is that, BY LAW, it is illegal.  If the ruling goes in favor of the landowners, WishGard and other flippers will be out of business.

I guess that if lying and misrepresenting the company you work for is cordial and respectful to others, then times really HAVE changed a lot!

Comment by Luke Perry on January 16, 2012 at 5:55pm

Treatment of other members and site updates. This site is a community, so we expect our members to treat each other cordially and respectfully. In that spirt, there is zero tolerance for attacks on, or harassment of other site members.." 

I re-read what I agreed to when I signed up. All I can say is, Ed, Tom and Cobra, you are in violation of this with your continuous "cyber bullying". This is getting real old.

Comment by Ed Ganelli on January 16, 2012 at 10:14am

Hi Brynmore!  I'm actually a part (a SMALL part!) of a group of neighbors who have formed a group centered in and around Wayne Twp. in Ashtabula County totalling roughly 6000 contiguous acres now (although the landowner who put the group together has recently had several requests from landowners who comprise a little over 2000 more contiguous acres within a mile of our group who want to become part of our group).  I've done TONS of research into oil and gas and the leasing that goes with it, have a legal research background, but I don't work for any group.  My advice to you would be to read up as much as you can about oil and gas leasing, talk with neighbors and other landowners in your area to see if THEY'RE already in a landgroup, and not be in any hurry to lease.  A good place to start would be to watch for the next Buckeye Mineral presentation meeting and attend it, and also watch for the occassional meetings the Farm Bureau holds about leasing and attend those.  Hope it helps!  Good luck!   :-)

Comment by brynmore on January 16, 2012 at 10:00am

hi ed

   have you deceided to go with a particulier group? do you work for one of the groups? i am new to the site and trying to figure things out . thanks

Comment by Ed Ganelli on January 16, 2012 at 9:44am

LOL, Tom!  If you think he educates on this site, you should hear the "education" he hands out at the Wishgard signups!  :-D

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• …
• 43
• 44
• 45
• 46
• 47
• …
• 61
• Next ›
• Page