RELIANT LAND TRUST - RELIANT LAND TRUST - RELIANT LAND TRUST - RELIANT LAND TRUST - RELIANT LAND TRUST - RELIANT LAND TRUST - RELIANT LAND TRUST - RELIANT LAND TRUST - RELIANT LAND TRUST - RELIANT LAND TRUST..
.. simultaneously doing business as 'RADIUS Management and RADIUS Land'..
Is NOT A 'LAND TRUST' but is a FOR PROFIT Investment group.
They've chosen to use 'LAND TRUST' in their new (established 3/11/09) business and that term COULD RESULT IN disarming THE WELL-INTENTIONED LANDOWNER.
WOULD YOU WISH YOUR FAMILY, YOUR PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS TO BE COURTED BY THIS 11-state INVESTMENT GROUP?
A coalition of investors calling themselves "a small, family business" have created a new face for their older business (Radius Land), using the term of Land Trust in the title: RELIANT LAND TRUST. They claim to have been in business since 1997, but that's misleading (re: Reliant). It's Radius that has been in business that long.
RELIANT also claims ".. we simply buy raw and and hold it long-term" but unlike a bonified Land Trust where "long-term" means FOREVER, RELIANT's use of long-term is quite different.
RELIANT isn't a land trust at all. A bonified LAND TRUST is a non-profit entity that oversees CONSERVATION of land. RELIANT is a FOR profit operation based in Oregon, and their motivations are HARDLY to restrict development rights. Their objective is to buy land speculatively, as an investment. Buy low, sell high. This is NOT STEWARDSHIP. And using the term "LAND TRUST" is very misleading.
A not-for-profit Land Trust example: An individual landowner contacts a LAND TRUST to place development restrictions on a parcel, 'to spare breaking up the land and to restrict future development rights'. Those restriction are placed on the title holder's deed, and then monitored in perpetuity by the Land Trust to enforce compliance. In the future should a development permit or subdivision be applied-for at the local level, the application would trigger a title search, and those deed restrictions would prevent the activity. The not-for-profit Land Trust has the legal authority to see that the original land use intentions, that sacred TRUST is honored.
A not-for-profit Land Trust is a conservation custodian.
Please don't be mislead. RELIANT is NOT a LAND TRUST.
It's just a very useful choice of words in the FOR PROFIT business name.
RELIANT LAND TRUST USES PUBLIC RECORDS to get title holder names and addresses. This, EVEN THOUGH ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION REQUIRES THEY AGREE TO NOT ENGAGE IN COMMERCIAL USE. Reliant does so anyway, relying on the financially strained counties to not prosecute.
The landowner, perhaps an elder, perhaps with health issues, perhaps in financial despair, is contacted via post by a young person whose name is 'CHARITY'. The letterhead and logo look very pro-environment, but the mission is profit. And by use of faith-instilling terms like 'Reliant, land TRUST, and Charity', the corporation's ploy could disarm well-intentioned landowners.
Landowners targeted by Reliant receive a letter that suggests (a quote) Reliant will.. ".. OFFER YOU A FAST, TROUBLE-FREE SALE, AS WELL AS A FAIR PRICE AND IMMEDIATE CASH. OF COURSE, WE WILL PAY ALL OF THE FEES".
It's useful to have an employee named "Charity" sign the letters.
RELIANT is banking that these troubling economic times will find landowners PARTING WITH LARGER PARCELS. Timber prices are at historic lows, vast open space sits fallow, so the time is right to dangle a financial carrot.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS IN GROWTH MANAGEMENT IN WASHINGTON STATE IS THE RATE at which RESOURCE LANDS ARE BEING CONVERTED INTO HIGHER DENSITY USE.
RELIANT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THIS PROBLEM.
RELIANT WILL NOT BE CONSERVING THIS LAND. IT'S ALL ABOUT PROFIT.
Don't 'rely' on RELIANT to conserve your land from development.
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Thank you for this Post.
ReplyDeleteI received from USPS a letter addressed to me regarding land I have...
If they really want to offer me what it's worth... based on what it was recently appraised for, then that's fine... but I dont think they will...
Keep up the good work...
Im glad to see this poated. My parents wanted me to do research about this co. and Im really glad someone got the 411 on this co. Thank you. it sis help a lot. They received the letter with exactly the same words you highlighted and yes Charity did sign the letter. That was interesting to learn. Thank you. and if there's anymore info you find please let us know. we'll be hitting up this page in the future
ReplyDeleteI received a letter May, 2010 from Reliant Land Trust and it did have the quoted statement mentioned above, and it was signed by Charity Lechuga, Account Manager. I inquired about them purchasing my land, and they sent me a letter with the purchase price they are offering. I own 2 adjoining vacant land lots in Sebring, FL. Reliant's offer was, as they put it, offered to me after analyzing the size and location of my property. Their offer is $397! They also conveyed that they are paying ALL closing costs, including title research, recording fees, document courier charges, notary fees, etc. Now...here's the kicker. I called the Property Assessors office for Sebring, and my property is valued THIS year, at $2,500 EACH lot! And that is a decrease from last year of $4,100 each!! Now tell me these guys aren't schiesters!!! Don't walk away from this company...RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN FROM THEM!!!! In my educated guess, the offer of $397 is the amount that covers closing costs. So, basically, they are willing to take advantage of you, and STEAL your property from you in desperate times...legally!!! I feel insulted and angry...not just for myself, but for the innocent people who are desperate to find money just to survive, and are innocently letting this company take advantage of them. I may contact the Oregon A.G. to inform them of these crooks. This company is a SCAM in every sense of the word!
ReplyDeleteTo follow up on my previous comment above: I looked up Reliant Land Trust in the Better Business Bureau. It is not a BBB Accredited Business, but there was a total of 2 complaints filed against the company. The BBB rating is an F. In the BBB information I also noticed that Ms. Charity Lechuga is listed, not as an Account Manager, but as Vice President of Purchasing. Don't know if those titles are synonamous. I'm filing a complaint with the Oregon A.G.s office with documentation. Through their office, there has been only 1 complaint regarding Reliant. When I called Reliant Land Trust, I spoke with Summer. I relayed what had occured and how much was offered and how much my property is valued at and told her how angry and insulted I was, she said I was under no obligation. Before I could tell her that I was filing a complaint to the Oregon A.G.she hung up on me. I called back and spoke to another person (didn't get the name...really didn't want to) and told them Summer just hung up on me and that I was filing with the A.G. because this is all B.S. and I said good bye and hung up.
ReplyDeletegood for you!!! i received the same letter charity signed etc etc ... thank you all for the info and for whomever called this company out
DeleteGood work! Thanks for posting this.
ReplyDeleteYou only need to read the name of Charity Lechuga to know that this is another Nigerian scam.... They are shameless... These scams are ubiquitous in Europe and S.Africa, in particular. The remarkable thing is that occasionally someone is taken in by them!!
ReplyDeleteI just got a letter from them too, also signed by Charity Lechuga, Account Manager. It looks very professional. I am glad I was able to check up on them and find out that they are not legitimate. I had no intention of selling my property at this time anyway, but was curious what they would offer. Now I know to expect pocket change!
ReplyDeleteI recieved the letter today, I thought about and wondered a few things, such as: Where will all the signing of documents take place? How and when would I get my money before or after and if it is after how sure could I be that funds would be sent to me. Yes I wondered if their idea of a fair price is really fair because I have people I can just give it to if that is the case. The most important thought was why are they going to land owner records, because where I own land there are many acers they can purchase. I will call them Monday and give you guys an up-date. I'm really glad I read these post first.
ReplyDeleteWe have our property listed with a legitimate realtor, but received a letter from Reliant a couple of days ago. Just wanted to check them out but now I don't want to get my hands dirty. There is just no limits to the crooks anymore. You have to check everybody these days. Thank you Falsehood Detector.
ReplyDeleteCheryl P.
I'm a Florida Realtor and can say that market value determined by willing and ready buyer not by Property Assessors who take into consideration taxable value only and do not know market value.
ReplyDeleteYou can ask realtor in your area if any sales recorded in the last 6-12 month if none and somebody offering you $375 and they are willing and ready buyer that is your market value this is it!
Do you see anybody staying in line to buy Florida land? I do not think so and may be you’ll have to hold your land another 20 years to get that $2,500 offer are you willing to wait?
any updates on this company?
ReplyDeleteI don't get where the mis-leading or fraud is with this company? They make an offer and that's it. They are not forcing you sign your name on the contract. Just throw away the piece of paper and go on with your life. FYI I'm sure you may think your land is golden, but the reality is it's not.
ReplyDeleteI just received a letter from RLT. Same language as described here and also signed by Charity. I had suspicions, looked this up and confirms what I was thinking. The property they are interested in is currently for sale anyway, but not at 10% if that's their business model. Thanks for this info.
ReplyDelete