Bevy of problems with leasing land
Letter: Bevy of problems with leasing land | The Lima News | March 8th, 2016 | limaohio.com
Letter: Bevy of problems with leasing land | The Lima News | March 8th, 2016 | limaohio.com
An employee of Long Prairie Wind Project allowed a landowner to read through the memorandum of lease, which is a summary of the lease contract to allow their farm ground to be used for wind turbines. The landowner raised concerns with language in the document, such as an apparent abuse of neighbors’ property rights. Instead of addressing the concern professionally, the employee used high pressure sales techniques on the landowner for a decision. The landowner told the developer he just wasn’t sure. At that point the developer ripped the contract out of his hands and stormed off.
That response raised a big red flag for that landowner and should for you too.
A second issue: Once a landowner signs a contract with the developer, this company waits two to three months before filling it at the county recorder’s office. Sometimes this information is withheld for up to six months. This was stated by a company employee at their recent open house in front of several people. By the way, the memorandum of lease filed at the recorder’s office is not the entire contract between the landowner and the developer. Why the two different documents? These practices include a clause in the contract that is essentially a gag order. The clause prevents a lease holder to even speak about the contents to anyone not on the contract.
Wind energy causes years of problems for farmers with ground compaction, tile damage, limiting pesticide application methods and causing discontent with neighbors. We have experienced some of this in the northern part of the county which has far fewer rural homesteads than the southern half. Enough is enough.
— Linda Baker, Ohio City
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2016/03/09/bevy-of-problems-with-leasing-land/