The Offer

[Frankn]

Well, I tried that Zillow real-estate site. There appears to be a problem. The property is not forsale and there Ariel view does not place it near a stream that is part of the location info in the story. The stream is there, but about 1/4 mi up the road. I have traced the deed from the owner in the story to the present day owner and have copies of all the deeds. I am going to have to do some deep thinking on this. With that heavily wooded land, I need some reasonable assurances before I physically dive in. Frank

 

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[nickmarch]

Nickmarch, Your are out of touch or have not used Google Map. You pop in the address and it puts you in the road near the house. You can move from there, up or down the road. You can magnify, but not quite to read small signs. I could make out the For sale sign, but not quite read the info. Google placements are close, but not exact.
Maipenrai, I am trying to see what the land looks like. It is 100 miles away. It is cleared about 100' back from road and houses are built close to the road, but the rest of the 5 Ac lot is heavily wooded. It isn't going to be easy.
Revelentchair, After the storm passes, I might drive up and get the info from the for sale sign if it indeed on the proper address. Then call the realtor and get permission to inspect the entire property for a couple of days. From looking at the housing in the area, I would say this is a "low rent" area.
Diggummup, I will try that place, I have the address, name of owner and copy of deed and platt.
Frank

I think I finally found our communication problem! I did a Google map search and it looks like the property is for sale. Not positive because Google does not list the address of every house. Now I am wondering if the owner is still alive. Frank

"List the address" implies a real estate listing not a street view map.

Keppy ,that would be a very bad idea for him. I have given him no clues. He has 9.5 ac and not a hint of the treasure story. I don't give out that info. on purpose. It's my ace in the hole. If he turnes down my offer and has someone else look, he will be back.
Well the way I look at it he owns 100% of nothing right now and he could own 1/3 of it all . I don't think any one else could find it for him without my notes. And those notes have only been shared with my partner. There is a big "catch 22" reason why no one else could find it on his property. Frank

9 acres is not hard to search? WE are not talking about a park with nice cut grass. This is an overgrown farm with falling down structures, rolling country complete with rattlers. No one lives on this property.
Now picture this, some one wants you to look for a cache on 9 acres of overgrown snake infested land. They don't know the form or location of the cache.For all you know, it could be thousand dollar bills in a wooden box. I have done this before and believe me it isn't easy. I sometimes wonder about people that come up with, " It is easy". I live on a farm, I know what 9 country acres looks like and it is not easy ! Now as far as the land owner is concerned. He doesn't metal detect or he wouldn't have asked for 50/50.. So he has no TH experience, no research experience in tracking caches, He doesn't have a clue about the story connected to the cache, so in effect he is left in the dark and I am the light switch.
He has two choices, fumble around in the dark or sit back and relax and wait for me to hand him the $50K.
I don't know where some people get the idea that he will find it. Frank

The fact is that the property owner owns whatever is on his land and is under no obligation to let anyone on his property at any price.

BTW is it 9 or 9 1/2 or 5 acres? You are also all over the place on the value of what you think you can find.

 

[vor]

NickM
Never let facts, logic or reason get in the way of a good story.

 

[lost]

Good Freaking Grief. 1083 posts about this so called treasure. Is it going to take another 1083 to find the new owner and then a thousand more to close the deal?

 

[nickmarch]

If it was me I would take 50/50. Its a generous offer that the owner would give up 50% of his property to someone with a md & shovel.

If it was me & a property owner would not allow access I would move on.

 

[boogeyman]

I haven't gotten a second reply yet, but here is how I look at it. My partner and myself have put in months of computer and on the ground time to locate this cache. In the last part of the search it seemed hopeless untill I contacted a "specialist" in locating people and places. I had to offer him a 10% split to locate it. he found it in 2 days complete with present owners name and address. The present owner has nothing to loose in this deal if nothing is found, but my partner and I will have lost a lot. Why should my partner and I accept 25%each and the owner collect the lions share of 50%? At 1/3 the owner stands to pick up $50,000.
The way I look at it allocated shares only go to the actual work providers and the land owner.
When I work with a partner, I agree ahead of time if we are going to pool and split finds or keep what we each find. In this case there are 3 partners, my partner , the land owner, and I. Frank

As said above. It's his land. If it's a sizeable cache, 50% is a lot better than 0%, or with time & costs -0%. Sometimes something is better than a big sack of nothing.

 

[Frankn]

Nickmarch, It could be on one of two adjoining lots of app. 5 ac each. The amount varries among the 3 versions of the story I have found. He was there for a couple of years, so I don't know if he taped it for expenses. I guess a realistic estimate would be between 100K and 150K in gold $20 coins which would = millions in today's dollars. As with any cache, the shovel sets the final amount. You give up to easily! A cache hunter has to learn to wait for the right moment to act.
Lost, this story is older than your membership!
Vor, facts float!
Boogyman, You take what you can get, but try not to leave any more behind than you have to. The land owner owns just that. No one " owns " the cache until it comes into view.

 

[maipenrai]

When will be the right moment? In one year, you havent had time to drive the 100 miles, to even look at the place, let alone try to talk with the land owner. Cache owner? I believe as long as the cache is on someones property, its his, it sure isnt yours! I guess thats why its taken so long to get nowhere, since you believe that its YOUR's!
I still cannot understand what the problem is, in driving out there. If your RV eats so much gas, then take your partners car, but for all these millions of dollars, you should be running out there.

I wonder if maybe you have a feeling that there is no cache, so your putting off the actual dig, or actually getting permission" because it might spoil your dream.
Your not the only one, I also have a cache that I "think" I know where it is, but keep putting it off, because of "important" things to do first, although I do have a better reason that you, since MY cache is on the other side of the world. Its 8,000 miles vs. 100 miles.

 

[nickmarch]

Nickmarch, It could be on one of two adjoining lots of app. 5 ac each. The amount varries among the 3 versions of the story I have found. He was there for a couple of years, so I don't know if he taped it for expenses. I guess a realistic estimate would be between 100K and 150K in gold $20 coins which would = millions in today's dollars. As with any cache, the shovel sets the final amount. You give up to easily! A cache hunter has to learn to wait for the right moment to act.
Lost, this story is older than your membership!
Vor, facts float!
Boogyman, You take what you can get, but try not to leave any more behind than you have to. The land owner owns just that. No one " owns " the cache until it comes into view.

$20 gold coins sell for about $2,000 to $4,000 each.

$100,000 (face value) divided by 20 = 5,000 coins

5,000 x $2,000 = $10,000,000.00

Seriously $5 million (50%) is not enough?

You are holding out waiting for a higher percent?

You think I give up to easily? I would have jumped on 50%!

 

[diggummup]

Diggummup, I will try that place, I have the address, name of owner and copy of deed and platt.
Frank

If you have his name do an obit search on Obituaries | Death Notices | Newspaper Obituaries | Online Obituaries | Newspaper Death Notices | Online Death Notices even if he doesn't have an obit, the "Social Security Death Index" search feature may have him listed. I found someone recently that didn't have an obit., but was still listed on the "SSDI".

As for google maps, they are a little outdated so depending on how long he has owned this property, it (sale sign) could be from when he purchased it. Read the image date on it, every photo I see has an image date of April, 2011 in my area. At 100 miles away, i'd be making a quick trip up there, if nothing else just to get another look at the place in person, make sure he hasn't brought in a bulldozer and a grader.

 

[lost]

Frankn---I know this post is old. I read TN for 5 years or longer before I actually sighed up. This post seems to have a life of it's own and no end in sight. Don't you get tired of the posters on here telling you the same answers over and over? For Gawd's sake man walk up to the front door and knock. Remember how long you kept the thread and maybe it's still going on, about the cache of coins you buried when you were a kid? What was your final answer, "maybe I'll get around to it some day." Did that end the thread?

A short story you might use as a hint. In 1947 when I was wee tike, my Dad gave me my first Pocket Knife. Small and almost useless but I was proud to own it. One day while playing around I broke the large main blade off. Being a kid I told my Dad I lost it rather than admit I careless broke it. I buried it 6 to 8 inches deep at the very corner of the back porch. Time passed, we moved hundreds of miles away. In the mid 80's I was visiting relatives in that same town and remembered the knife. Here's the end of the story Frankn and it only took one short post. I drove to the old house, mid day, knocked on the door and told the story to the lady who now lives there, and asked if I could dig for the knife. She said "sure." Then I asked if I could borrow a small garden trowel. "Sure she said." I walked with her to the back porch, dug the exact spot I buried the knife, and it was still there. Not all that bad of a shape for all those years in the ground. I thanked her, she offered coffee and we spent some time talking about the old house and the neighbors who lived around the house back in the day. Now that's the way to end a cache hunt. Just get 'er done. It's not that hard. Now don't tell me the difference between a cheap pocket knife and supposedly millions of dollars in gold coins. ""ll tell him my story saying you lost your pocket knife and want to look for it. Worked for me.

 

[Frankn]

Maipenrai, According to your theory, the cache is his simply because someone buried it on his property. What if I dug it up and reburied it on my property. According to your theory, it would be mine!
It's not that simple getting a cache as some might think. There are many obstacles, the biggest being location and permission. My partner and I have been to the area and interviewed relatives of the person that is in the original tale. We found out facts like the family split into two different areas of the county and we were in the wrong area. The latest complication is that the lot and the stream that is part of the location info. do not appear to meet. The ownership of the lots in question have been traced back to the original story teller.

Nicmarch, I must have run those numbers a hundred times!

Diggummup, I have a copy of the latest deed with his name on it. That address is not listed for sale.
I am presently looking for a good topo to trace that stream.

Lost, You don't just run out and dig up a cache. There are numerous obstetrical you have to overcome first . When and if I clear those obstetrical, I will turn on the 2 Box and move out.
I have $13 silver dollars buried, buried when I was app. 10, at my old home. One day I might look for them. I might try your approach.

 

[Kentucky Kache]

Maipenrai, According to your theory, the cache is his simply because someone buried it on his property. What if I dug it up and reburied it on my property. According to your theory, it would be mine!
It's not that simple getting a cache as some might think. There are many obstacles, the biggest being location and permission. My partner and I have been to the area and interviewed relatives of the person that is in the original tale. We found out facts like the family split into two different areas of the county and we were in the wrong area. The latest complication is that the lot and the stream that is part of the location info. do not appear to meet. The ownership of the lots in question have been traced back to the original story teller.

Nicmarch, I must have run those numbers a hundred times!

Diggummup, I have a copy of the latest deed with his name on it. That address is not listed for sale.
I am presently looking for a good topo to trace that stream.

Lost, You don't just run out and dig up a cache. There are numerous obstetrical you have to overcome first . When and if I clear those obstetrical, I will turn on the 2 Box and move out.
I have $13 silver dollars buried, buried when I was app. 10, at my old home. One day I might look for them. I might try your approach.

Frankn, I hope you overcome your obstetrical problems.

 

[maipenrai]

Frankn, No, it would not be your cache, if you dug it up on someone elses property and buried on your own, that would be called Stealing! Yes, we know there are all kinds of laws, in every state, every country, and most, as we know, are not based on what is right, but just on a law that someone made up. I doubt that your example would fly in any country.
We have countries like Spain, that enslaved, murdered, and stole gold and riches from South America, and now claim that they stole it fair and square, so If someone spends millions to locate and retrieve these treasures, then Spain wants them back.
Now if a cache is buried on someones property, and no one knows where it came from, then I would think it would belong to the property owner, but then of course the government might have other ideas, but I can just about guarantee that it doesnt belong to the guy that happened along, swinging his tector. Different matter if the swinger got permission from the land owner. In your case, if you dont have permission, then you have no business there, no matter who buried it. So who else do you think owns the cache, if not the land owner? Just because you have spent hundreds of hours doing research, does not mean that the cache is now yours. I dont even believe that relatives of the cachier could claim it, of course they could, but in the end the lawyers would have it all. For that matter, I couldnt claim it, but of course I wouldnt win, but thats beside the point. All of this is irrelevant, if you dont have the time to actually do something about it, go and take a look, not debate whether or not the for sale sign is old or new. Sorry, I just cannot understand your procrastination with this. Even your new thread about the silver coins, what was that all about? You got lots of replies, but then said, "if I have time".

 

[nickmarch]

Maipenrai, According to your theory, the cache is his simply because someone buried it on his property. What if I dug it up and reburied it on my property. According to your theory, it would be mine!

That would be theft. In some States you could legally be shot!

It's not that simple getting a cache as some might think. There are many obstacles, the biggest being location and permission. My partner and I have been to the area and interviewed relatives of the person that is in the original tale. We found out facts like the family split into two different areas of the county and we were in the wrong area. The latest complication is that the lot and the stream that is part of the location info. do not appear to meet. The ownership of the lots in question have been traced back to the original story teller.

50% would have gotten you on the property long ago. Greed is keeping you off the property and giving the owner time to find the cache if it even exists. Story teller sounds good.

Nicmarch, I must have run those numbers a hundred times!

Why? Do you think they numbers will change?

Diggummup, I have a copy of the latest deed with his name on it. That address is not listed for sale.
I am presently looking for a good topo to trace that stream.

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Lost, You don't just run out and dig up a cache. There are numerous obstetrical you have to overcome first . When and if I clear those obstetrical, I will turn on the 2 Box and move out.

I have $13 silver dollars buried, buried when I was app. 10, at my old home. One day I might look for them. I might try your approach.

...

 

[Frankn]

Kache, My spellcheck did that! lol

Maipenrai, I know the name of the person that buried the cache and it wasn't stolen money. Maybe it actually belongs to his descendents. I see your point of view, but I can guess what you would do if you found it.

Nick, Do you enjoy copying posts? 122 posts a year! I think you are trying to catchup.

Frank

 

[Kentucky Kache]

Kache, My spellcheck did that! lol
Frank

It happens.

 

[Frankn]

kache, If there weren't a few bumps in the road, I think we would all fall asleep! Frank

 

[nickmarch]

I'm falling asleep reading this thread.

 

[Kentucky Kache]

kache, If there weren't a few bumps in the road, I think we would all fall asleep! Frank

That's for sure. And with all the bumps I make, I don't have to worry about falling asleep.