We've all heard, the landman said "*%#$^" and now I find out that it is not true or it is misleading, or it is a common scare tactic.
So lets discuss what constitutes outright fraud, what is a common scare tactic and what is a downright lie. And what the implications are for each.
A friend of mine was told they wouldn't drill a well for at least 3 years. Now they are ready to drill after 1 year. Problem is he only owns 1/2 of his minerals and won't own the other half for another year. He definitely would not have leased.
Was the landman misleading, lying or did he commit fraud.
Lot's of us have similar stories. Let's share them with each other, so no one else will fall for the same line.

Tags: Fraud, Lies, misleading, statements

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We took the risk to buy this land and it is our home, not yours, you rude ass and I know how to spell and have the damn nuts to say it! I am not against the O&G companies, but I am against people who represent themselves as professionals and are in the buisness despite what they KNOW. I feel with out a doubt when I set across the table with you I will spot you and I will ASSure you I will get up and leave. This is not the place for this kind of input, keep it clean or go home and cut out the lights.
I posted it here because I was appalled when I read it. I wanted others to know what they were dealing with.

As JackB2 said, I am the one who took the risk to purchase my property. If you have seen many of my post, you will see that I am all for working with E & P towards and equitable outcome for all.

Imagine my disgust when I looked at your page. I am surprised that you are not someone else today.
You pretty much need to verify everything that comes out of a landmans mouth it seems. Some may tell the truth, but many will lie to your face....AND DEFEND the lie when they are called on it.
You should verify everything that comes out of everyones mouth when you are involved in ANY financial transaction. That's just common sense business. This is nothing new in the business world.
Regarding frauds: I have discovered that the sure way to defraud a fraud is to document everything. He said this-date and time. He said that-date and time. Everything signed and dated. But if someone really wants to take advantage of you, they will try many tactics and psychology to get what they want until you believe they can walk on water. Just remember that everyone has a motivation that makes them act the way they do! Always ask yourself, what do they have to gain in this matter and why do they want it so bad?

In defense of landmen/women everywhere (even if it's against my better judgement): When an outside landman (hired by a company) isn't told exactly what all the answers are before meeting with a landowner, that creates plausible deniability. I'm not saying they do, but they will generally "soft-shoe" around the questions they don't know the answers to. It's human nature not just O&G nature.There are many landmen/women around that are just doing their job...getting the signatures on the contracts...getting paid...getting home. Just like all the other working stiffs out there (me included).

In defense of landowners everywhere: The most important thing that we can do is to educate ourselves. It's always a pity party when a person says "I shoulda...I coulda...I woulda...." These scenarios can be prevented with action and education. It is sad that the mineral leases are not more laymen in their language so everyone can understand them. It would also be ideal to have at the very beginning of each and every mineral lease, "you do not have to sign this paper without getting proper legal assistance or explanation of each term." But it's just not there. People don't always understand what they are signing for anyway except they will get some money. The average person does not know they HAVE options or if they can even question the lease terms. It is not the landman/woman's fault they don't know what the landowner knows or not.

It's real easy to miscommunicate (or even intentially defraud someone) during the leasing process because there are so many loop holes in the law. It's very frustrating indeed for the landowner while the O&G laugh all the way to the bank. There has to be a better way.........IMHO
Thank Mom A1,

I am just trying to figure out what has been said. Lot's of folks say landmen lie, etc.

I am just curious as to what peoples opinions are about certain statements that they have said.

I am not trying to unreasonable tarnish the label "landman". I have heard people saying a lot of things that were said to them. I'm just curious what some of the statements are. And what the opinions are about these statements.
Ok Parker:

The easiest way to find out what landmen have told people is to look on their pages. Gotrooked is a good example, mine is another. I've even read one of Kassi's blogs that stated that she got three different amounts in her community from one landman on the same day purely based on socio-economic status. Other lies I've heard about are "they said they would drill in 3 years and it ended up being drilled in 1 year." The landowner lost some money in the process.

It just cannot be coincidence that this many people have a beef with the landman/woman. When many people say the same things over and over and they all live and work in different areas of the country, there has to be some truth in it somewhere.

This may not be what you want to hear but that is how I see it and last I checked it was a free country-thank God! AND since there are probably landmen/women on this site posing as landowners, people REALLY NEED TO BE CAREFUL AS TO WHO THEY CHAT WITH.

Don't you agree, Parker?
Mom A1,
I completely agree. I have posed several question concerning some of the statements that I received. I have yet to get a landman's opinion as to certain statements being unethical. When I ask about a particular set of circumstances, I no longer get a response. I think that in and of itself speaks volumes.
I am not asking a landman for a legal opinion.
I would just think that if I were a landman, and I heard of unethical behavior, I would say so. I would want to distance myself from the landmen that have committed fraud or at the very least misleading statements.
I've been around long enough to see a salesman dance around a subject when pressed. I understand a landman may have to "do the dance" himself. But it seems (in my opinion) that there are some common BLATANT LIES or as I said before at the very least common MISLEADING STATEMENTS.
As to the scenario about my friend, in my opinion the statement was fraudulent. I don't know if it legally constitutes fraud. He is not challenging his lease. In my humble opinion he was given fraudulent information to entice him to sign the lease.
There has to be a line in the sand that when crossed changes from misleading statement to fraud. I for one do not know where the line is legally.
I just thought it might be an interesting topic to ponder on. Who knows someone on here may actually even know the answer.
I'd like to address something Parker. Many of us landmen will talk to you about what you ask us. Understand this also, we can't make statements too broad. Most of us work for Chesapeake, I DO have to be careful when and how I word things. Occasionally you will see I specifically state that it's only my opinion.

I can lose my job, and my standing with CHK if I step out of line in public, and this is public. Most of us SHOULDN'T be posting on here at all. It can easily bite us in the rear. I get on here because if you are more educated it makes my job easier, and I want to help in that process.

I'm just saying consider that their might be a reason we don't want to get too involved in the personal individual struggles some of you may be having/have had.

Thanks,
Randy
I beleive that CHK would want you to post on here since your "approval rating" reflects in our opinion of CHK.

I have also stating in several place about a very good experience that I had with CHK as a surface only owner.
Randy,
I closed the discussion. I did not use my better judgment when posting it.
Another one of those things viewed from a different prospective.
When I read it, I felt like this must be how a lot of landmen feel. No wonder they don't have a problem with some of their statements. Upon reflection (and a little calming down), I realized it shouldn't have been put up on the main board (or anywhere else for that matter.

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