Why are California gold claims so expensive?

firebird

Full Member
Oct 17, 2018
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Is this normal? Thousands of $$$ for claims, many of which are areas that seemed to have been already worked exhaustively in the past.

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Treasure_Hunter

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deserdog

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May 17, 2013
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"Talk about expensive, a lot of claims around me are claimed by the same ppl and were talking 3 claims that total 1,920 acres do the math"

An association of two locators may locate 40 acres, and three may locate 60 acres, etc. The maximum area of an association placer claim permitted by law is 160 ...
 

dave wiseman

Hero Member
Jul 23, 2004
829
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Angels Camp,Ca.
Unless the owner died or is disabled and a relative or friend dosen;t want to work it or can't....why would anyone sell a good gold claim when there so difficult to find?
 

KevinInColorado

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Jan 9, 2012
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Unless the owner died or is disabled and a relative or friend dosen;t want to work it or can't....why would anyone sell a good gold claim when there so difficult to find?

For. The. Money.

Also for some of us, they aren’t that hard to find.

I’m expecting to sell a claim in the next year simply because it’s a long drive compared to another decent spot I can claim. So, yeah, logistics.
 

N-Lionberger

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Dec 1, 2013
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I have a claim outside Alleghany that I purchased with a friend, it was a little pricey but its a little juicey, it wasn't from a claim flipper or craigslist though.
 

ToneRock

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May 24, 2019
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I have also noticed a lot of people filing claims in California and then trying to flip them for a quick buck on ebay and other sites. I also noticed that the claims that they "file" are only filed at the county. Not with BLM. They do not have a CMAC #.
Now I have filed many claims in N. CA over the years and have never filed with the County. I was even involved in a couple of legal disputes involving attorneys. Cease and desist letters and such. I would just send the attorney a copy of my location notice, a map with the borders of the claim accurately drawn out and an engineers ruler and invite them to learn how to use it. In both cases the threats stopped.
My point is that if you do not file your mining claim with BLM then you have no claim. It is federal land. By not filing with the county does not invalidate your federal miming claim. Now don't get me wrong it's a good idea to file with the county for it just strengthens your position. I guess it's possible that the county could prohibit you from working the claim unless you file with them but I would be really surprised If they could invalidate your claim. Now I have not filed a claim in over 15 years in CA but I would be willing to bet that a county can not impose a use tax or property tax on federal lands. This is why the federal government pays the county what they call payment in lieu of taxes funds. It is designed to reimburse the county for providing services on federal lands such as police medical and fire ect.
I would really love some feedback on this issue.
 

Goldwasher

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May 26, 2009
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I'll take things that never happened for $1000

Alex
​
 

Goldwasher

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May 26, 2009
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Looks like there are several that he/they/it are lumping together.

Perfect way to get some landmatters and lr2000 practice.

Use the description. Zoom in. turn on Land manager and PLSS. start clicking on info.You will see numerous claims in the sections named and nearby. Also a lot of private land that was claimed then patented.

It is ancient river gravels being mine mostly.

It is a "good" area.

There are several claims that have been held since the 1980's You will see that ones in the are named are newer. Section 16 has eighteen claims. two being Lode.

They are held by Amador Capitol.

You can run reports on names and location on lr2000

you can see what claims have come and gone as in how many have been filed and closed and if a spot has been claimed multiple times.

you can run a customer report on peoples names and by the name of the claim.

Once you have one of those bits of info you can expand on it.

You can do this to see if it is an individual selling a claim because they are just selling a claim.

You can also find out if that person locates and sells often...and as quick as possible... a :censored: flipper most of the time.

You will even see the same bit of ground sold more claimed and transfered by the same person more than once.

I bet A dollar that the claims for sale are the newest ones held by Amador Capitol.

They have filed at least thirty claims since 2015 and almost double that in Nevada.

Many claims located on the same day

Most of their claims in Nv are closed due to abandonment.


Notice on the craigslist add they claim that there are tens of millions in the grounds still!!!

$49k is a bargain RIGHT? :dontknow::BangHead::icon_scratch::tongue3::treasurechest:
 

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ToneRock

Tenderfoot
May 24, 2019
8
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Sacramento
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I have a claim outside Alleghany that I purchased with a friend, it was a little pricey but its a little juicey, it wasn't from a claim flipper or craigslist though.

Nice ! I love this area. Very rich. Been their many times on a friends claim.
 

Clay Diggins

Silver Member
Nov 14, 2010
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Federal Law:

GENERAL MINING ACT OF 1872

SECTION 5

That the miners of each mining district may make rules regulations not in conflict with the laws of the United States, or with the laws of the State or Territory in which the district is situated, governing the location, manner of recording, amount of work necessary to hold possession of a mining-claim



California State Law:

CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE
SECTION 3900-3924

3911. Within 90 days after the posting of his or her notice of
location upon a lode mining claim, placer claim, tunnel right or
location, or millsite claim or location, the locator shall record, in
the office of the county recorder of the county in which the claim
is situated,
a true copy of the notice together with a statement by
the locator of the markings of the boundaries
as required by this
chapter and the character of the markings, which statement also shall
include the section or sections, township, range, and meridian of
the United States survey within which all, or any part, of the claim
is located.

3913. (a) Whenever labor is performed, improvements are made, or a
maintenance fee is paid as required by law upon any mining claim, the
person on whose behalf the labor was performed, improvements made,
or a maintenance fee was paid, or someone in his or her behalf,
shall, within 30 days after the time required by law for performing
the labor, making the improvements, or paying the maintenance fee,
make and have recorded by the county recorder, in the county in which
the mining claim is situated, an affidavit setting forth all of the
following:

(1) The name of the claim and the serial number, if any, assigned
to the claim by the Bureau of Land Management in the United States
Department of Interior.
(2) A reference by book and page or document number to the public
record of the notice of location of the claim and, if amended, of the
last recorded amendment thereof.
(3) The section or sections, township, range, and meridian of the
United States survey within which all or any part of the claim is
located.
(4) A description of the labor performed or improvements made upon
or for the benefit of the claim for which the proof is made, the
value of each item, and the dates on which, or the period of time
within which, the labor was performed or the improvement was made, or
a statement that a maintenance fee in the amount prescribed by the
laws of the United States has been or will be paid, the amount of the
maintenance fee, and the date of payment or anticipated payment.
(5) The name, current mailing address, and current residence
address of the person who makes the proof and of the owner of the
claim, as known to the affiant.
(6) A statement that the claim is held and claimed by the owner,
or the person making the proof if he or she is entitled to possession
thereof, for the valuable mineral contained therein.
(7) The name and address of the person who performed or made the
work and improvements described in the affidavit, as known to the
affiant, if applicable.
(8) A statement that all monuments required by law to have been
erected upon the claim and all notices required by law to have been
posted on the claim or copies thereof were in place at a date within
the assessment year for which the affidavit is made and a statement
of the date.
(9) A statement that, at that date, each corner monument bore or
contained a marking sufficient to appropriately designate the corner
of the mining claim to which it pertains and the name of the claim.
(b) An affidavit recorded as required by subdivision (a), or a
copy thereof duly certified by the county recorder, shall be prima
facie evidence of the performance of the labor, the making of the
improvements, or the payment of the maintenance fee as stated in the
affidavit.
(c) The neglect or failure of the owner of any mining claim to
record, or cause to be recorded, within the time allowed by this
section an affidavit containing the statements required by
subdivision (a) creates a prima facie presumption of the act and
intent of the owner to abandon the claim at the end of the assessment
year
within which the labor should have been performed, the
improvements should have been made, or the maintenance fee should
have been paid under the laws of the United States
, and imposes the
burden of proof upon the owner of the claim to show that the labor
has been performed, that the improvements have been made, or that the
maintenance fee has been paid in any contest, suit, or proceeding
touching the title to the claim.

Educate yourself and prosper!

Heavy Pans
 

ToneRock

Tenderfoot
May 24, 2019
8
5
Sacramento
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I just filed a 40 acre claim in N Ca and found out this,
1) Unlike the old days, BLM is now requesting that the claim be filed at the county instead of advising it.
2) The state of CA now charges a fee of $75 when you file at the county. (This was based on 40 acres)
3) BLM does not recognize a location notice being filed with the county as legal ownership of a claim. If you don't have a CMAC # you have nothing. federal claim, federal land.
4) Viola is back at the BLM office in Sacto ! Super nice lady. She has helped me since 1991. I will say this. The BLM office in Sac is the most helpful government agency I have ever worked with bar none :)
5) It took less than 48 hours to show up on LR2000. (really really nice)
6) They don't time stamp location notices anymore. They only date stamp them.
 

ToneRock

Tenderfoot
May 24, 2019
8
5
Sacramento
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If they are too lazy to find their own claims then they are most likely too lazy to find their own gold imho
 

N-Lionberger

Bronze Member
Dec 1, 2013
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Arcata, California
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Yes it is. Was back up their a few weeks ago and wow their was some major changes just upstream due to the rains. I hang out below the red ledge.

Yeah my spot got a good washing, found a stamp mill and some adits I didn't know were there.
 

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