Replies to post #2098 on Investing in Timber

[jschwarzbart]

Belmont, you make a very good point: this website is the only news sharing source about TATF and we need the participation of other investors. Well said.

However, I don't agree about on the issue of anonymity. First, I don't believe TATF will retaliate against any poster. If their website communications can be taken at face value (and you might not), they appear to be making an effort to make up for losses to tree owners. On one occasion they replaced a large number of trees destroyed during a storm. And the point of Raleo is to make up for the lower than originally advertised market value of the early thinnings. I don't believe people who make these sorts of efforts are the type to pursue a vendetta. But even if you disregard that, inconsistent treatment of a contracted party with the intent to harm that party is legally actionable. A tree owner who can demonstrate that his or her trees or lumber were harmed in response to the expression of an opinion has legal recourse. I sincerely doubt the Brunners would want to invite that kind of trouble.

Second, while most folks here are polite to one another in their posts, there is a type of behavior which I doubt we would see from individuals who were not hiding behind a mask.

I personally have benefited from the information shared by others. I would like to share more but don't think this is the place for it. There is too much mutual suspicion for my taste.

[schaef]

OK, belmont and Marc, you are making my point for me. Your fear is a fear of retaliation. I am right there with you.

In order to want to be protected from retaliation, you must believe (or at least not be convinced otherwise):

a. there are trees planted by TATF
b. there are trees assigned to each person, not just some "show" trees
c. these trees will grow and at least some will have value at some point
d. TATF will at some point cut and process these trees and sell the lumber
e. and there will be proceeds from the sale that should go to you

So therefore, TATF is a real, viable company that is selling real trees. That is your belief, or you wouldn't fear any retaliation. Your tree markers can't be moved and your trees can't be "culled" unless you have some trees. You can't get less proceeds from your trees unless they have value and there are real proceeds.

The same must be true for "dupedbysteve" - who refuses to reveal his identity. So how has he been duped?

In several messages, he says
...there is more teak in the paper of the certificates than there is on the farms
...all we have is a bunch of worthless pieces of paper
...the only real thinning was from our wallets
...Steve is a fraud and probably is already in Rio with our money

My point is, duped, if that is what you believe, what fear can you possibly have of Steve, who is living off your money in Rio, retaliating against your fraudulent trees on the teak-free farms that are attested to by worthless pieces of paper? As the saying goes, put up or shut up. It can only benefit you to reveal your identity if Steve is a fraud - if you say who you are, you greatly increase the likelihood that he will buy you off to protect himself from the government hounds you have loosed against him...as you say. What fear can you have of saying who you are?

I don't believe TATF is a fraud, that is why I am currently anonymous. But what about dupedbysteve?