The situation is far murkier than these either-or propositions would suggest. During the ten years in which I have had skin in this game I have watched this business go from an idealistic vision to an impractical reality. How deeply spent are the many tens of millions of dollars received for investors' purchases of trees can only be conjectured. We do know that the initial costs of planting those trees was fractional to the money received. Best guess is that Mr. Brunner is now so far over his head with TATF that he doesn't know what to do. Ergo, his silence and the virtual demise of Tree Owners' News which was an annual staple from 1992 until 2004.
When he does feel compelled to comment, either through his intermediaries on the board or his latest "what's new" on his website, it is invariably with expectations and positive predictions for the near future. These are the same indefinite expectations he offered in his original sales material. In time, all will pass.
The frustrating thing for investors is believing that Mr. Brunner is a wealthy landowner in Costa Rica who has the power and means to consolidate his resources and offer some recompense to his investors if he felt morally compelled to do so.
It is never a good sign when a company hunkers down and cuts off direct communication with share-holders. When it has gone on for three years the sign is close to conclusive.
Citing forum members' critical comments on this forum as an excuse for the company's failure to take in new money from new investors, therefore supposedly preventing normal maintenance, thinning, marketing and subsequent returns to investors, is nothing more than a sorry attempt to divert responsibility.
belmontx
News 
Market Data 
Discover 
AI
