Below is a copy of the letter that Dale has sent out via certified mail that people began receiving on Saturday 05/31/08
as a PDF file. From what I have found out there were 97 of these letters that have gone out so far. I have not received
one and I have talk with two other home owner that has not received one. I do not know if another batch is due to come
out later this week or not. These 97 are only the ones sent to the owners that live in the neighborhood. I have no idea
how many were sent to people who rent the homes they own. From what I understand we have about 168 homes that have not signed.
I have delayed on getting this response out because I had a couple things I wanted to check on first.
The Sandybrook NA has not agreed to these terms and will not agree to them. As a couple attorneys I have talked with have
said "the lease they want people to sign is a piece of trash and do not sign it." We are still working with four other
neighborhoods on working on a community lease directly with Chesapeake. When we do have an agreement we will let people know.
We had our latest task force meeting Tuesday night and are working on the lease we are going to present to the gas companies.
We have given Dale an idea of what we are wanting and they have said they can not do that for this area because in their
opinion our minerals are not worth it. What we have asked for is no different than what other neighborhoods and property
owners have gotten from the gas companies. Including a group of 40 home owners. Then a week later they have sent out these
letters. We know this is just another effort on their part to scare people into sign their lease.
Based on what I have been told by Jim Sharp with Dale, the well has not been permitted yet. A neighbor of mine gave me a
copy of the letter they received and it states they will turn it over to Chesapeake to begin permitting the well. From what
I understand this process will take a few months to do. They have several steps the state requires and then the city
requires that needs to be done. I have included a note I received from Louis McBee that sums up a response to the letter
people have received. I have to agree if our area is not so important and is worth so little, why are they spending so
much effort and money trying to get us to sign a lease. This should prove to you that your lease is worth more than they
are saying it is worth. They are trying to buy something you have as cheap as possible.
I do know they can not drill any area they do not have a lease for and within 330 feet of the property line of those
properties. So right now this neighborhood is land locked from being drilled by state law. So they want everybody to sign
and these companies have a history of doing anything and everything they can to trick people into signing a lease. This is
one of those "tricks" / lies. These gas companies will accept a lease at any time. There is no deadline unless they get
the state to force you into a lease. Just to let you know the state lease is better than the one they are asking you to
sign. As far as I know they have not done that yet to anyone. Remember you have something they want, get what you
deserve to get for your property not what they say it is worth. Also make sure any lease you sign protects your
property and your rights. That is one goal of a community lease. If you have anything you want included in the community
lease let me know asap.
Thank you for your support and patience in this process. As we have seen those that have waited has seen the price go up.
If you look at it as an investment it has been a great return. We have seen in the last 8 months a 4.8 time increase in
the signing bonus for most people. That is a 480% return in less than a year. A good average return on the stock market
is considered 8%-10% per year. Is waiting a few more months to get even a greater return worth the wait? Just something
to think about.
Dale Certified Letter in pdf file
You can e-mail me questions, comments,
about this site at sandybrook@charter.net
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