Lanowners warned of sly buying practices

If you feel strongly that your ranch should forever remain a part of the agricultural community, the Crook County Assessor’s Office is recommending caution at this time if you are approached by a potential buyer.

All might not be as it seems, say Theresa Curren and Tracey Jundt, who recently handled what they describe as an eyecatching purchase on behalf of a development company.

The incident involved a 720-acre ranch within the county. The owners were approached by a developer with an offer to buy the land.

“There are a lot of ranchers who, if they sell, don’t want to see their land developed. They want to see it last forever as an agricultural production,” says Curren.

“This particular ranch didn’t want to sell to a developer, so they refused.”

However, she continues, a private individual then contacted the owners via his realtor. They felt more comfortable with this new offer, says Curren, because, “He assured them it was not going to be developed.”

The individual turned out to be a middle man – someone who had agreed to make the purchase and then hand the land over to the developer. Confirms Jundt, the middle man stated while filing paperwork with the Assessor’s Office that the developer gave him the money to make the purchase of the land.

“The developer gave him the money to buy it to give it back to them so they could sell it,” says Jundt.

The ruse was successful; a few months later, the development company is now in ownership of the ranch.

“Be aware of who you’re selling to,” says Jundt. “And you’d better make sure you trust your realtor.”

Protecting Your Land

The Assessor’s Office wants to be sure that local landowners are aware of the possibility that a development company may be prepared to go to unethical lengths to purchase their land.

“People selling their property need to really research who they are selling it to,” says Jundt.

If a company makes an offer on your land, she recommends looking up the LLC on the Wyoming Secretary of State’s website (or the secretary of state associated with the state in which the LLC is registered). Information should be available about the recorded agent, owners and original filing, which could provide clues as to whether the company is a developer.

If unsure, consider also contacting the Assessor’s Office, where representatives will be able to advise you as to whether the company in question is known to them as a developer.

Of course, it’s not always easy to find the information that would give you a clear answer, so the Assessor’s Office mostly wants landowners to be aware of the possibility that they may be the target of a similar scheme. In particular, they warn to be wary if you are contacted by a potential buyer despite not actively offering your land for sale.

“It’s mostly large ranches. Developers are contacting them and asking them if they want to sell,” says Jundt.

“If they approach you and say they want to buy it, and you tell them you don’t want to sell to a developer, and then all of a sudden there’s a private individual who wants to buy it for a similar amount, that may be an indication.”

Incoming Rules

The county commissioners are attempting to fast-track new large subdivision regulations in an attempt to exert at least some control over the development happening in the county. It seems that Crook County caught the eye of large developers around a year ago, says Curren, and there are at least four or five complete or already underway, with more likely to be coming.

The new rules, they hope, will slow down the development somewhat. Right now, says Jundt, it seems that developers are moving ahead with projects as quickly as possible so as to be grandfathered in before the new rules are in place.

“There are ranchers who are scared that everything is going to get developed and there’s not going to be any ranching community left,” Curren says. “[Under the pending regulations], they will still be able to develop, but they’ll have to follow rules.”

In the meantime, the Assessor’s Office urges property owners who feel strongly about the future use of their land to exercise caution if approached by a potential buyer.