Replies to post #2359 on Investing in Timber

[belmontx]

Excellent summary of the situation for investors, justcfrall.
You, fawtsc, and others have been our most informative and reliable contributors. I hope dupedbysteve resumes his useful posts. From him investors learned what can happen if they go to authorities.

One of his most recent posts contained this, parentheses mine:
"Actually it was justcfrall who gave me the right means to get out of TATF by his statement of (recommending) seeking legal redress. As we know justcfrall had an agreement from TATF to rebuy his investment that TATF reneged on. I refused to stop my legal means until i had cash in hand.
"David (DavidKnight) You have a propensity to attack anyone who would denegrate TATF even though TATF has shown no willingness to commit to even informing investors in their plantation of the state of any trees. You repeatedly attacked me for harming TATF as I went about getting CR authorities to examine TATF.
"I will let Ihub examine all my writings and i know my writings have been above board, i would say yours are dubious at the best in several instances."

Looking at duped's writings it is hard not to agree that they "have been above board". They have likely inspired many other reader-investors on this board to take action. His participation has been what this board is all about -- aid to victimized investors.

Keep up the good work, justcfrall, fawtsc and dupedbystefe.

belmontx

[schaef]

It's a good summary.

In a Ponzi scheme, old "investors" are paid with the money from new investors.

This can't be a Ponzi scheme, as none of the investors are getting paid at all.

Doesn't mean it's not a scheme, just not a Ponzi scheme.

[dupedbysteve]

Justcfrall,I find it difficult to imagine 39 million dollars could be used up in traveling. Seems to me unless he was into flying into space on the shuttle (at 20 million a trip) to the russian space station he would have to fly an awfully lot in first class.
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>>Posted by: justcfrall Date: Thursday, June 24, 2010 6:42:51 AM
In reply to: pointer who wrote msg# 2351 Post # of 2368

"Hi pointer and all readers.I agree it looks extremely bad for any investor large or small that bought trees from TATFs. It is now more than halfway through 2010 some 17 years soon to be 18 years ago and only two investors or so on this forum have reported distribution. One of them was in form of credits.not cash.

TATF continues to advertise payouts at roughly 7,10,13,17 ect. years completely knowing they have not be able to pay all investors these payouts.On top of this they are promoting oil trees and melina that is kissing cousins to balsa wood. I think it is deception to say the least.

On top of not paying most investors anything the owners do not see this as an issue apparently and remain silent or giving investors and everyone positive reassurances that everything is on track and that the 17 year thinning will be done and the wood sold on the IM very soon! WHAT!!!!!!!!!! That was last dry season some 6 or more months ago and it likely never happened because no one has recieved any reports as usual. The survey done by a1 before and the postings by the more than 60 people here and on other sites reveal that most all of these reports were never sent to us by TATF for the different period thinnings.

With treeowners money invested in CR rural farm real estate that has increased in value from in mid 90's from roughly 400$ per acre to now about 2000$ per acre.

That is a pretty good take for the owner who cashed our good faith checks and watched his about 15 000 acres I think bought with mostly our hard earned money go from about 6 000 000 to now around 30 000 000$.

I estimate with claimed 3000 investors that bought possibly an average of 500 trees each for estimated 3000$ per 100 would be nearly 45 000 000 dollars.

Where is the remaining 39 000 000 dollars? And the local banks pay good interest rate for savings accounts in CR.When I was there it was about 5 to 6 percent per year.

Could they have it some account? Could they have wasted it on Labor and Raleo? Payouts to officials? Traveling? They are not CR residents from what the employees have told me and they have to go out of the country every number of months to remain legally there in CR.

I earlier made a best case prediction of yeild and possible recovery of partial investment but that would be if TATFs is not a total fraud at that future time. Things are looking worse even Abrgrvnr is secretly finding buyer having his trees cut and shipped he did not say the sale price and how much he had to pay Steve to cut and mill.It looks like the investors that pay him and send him lovely emails will possibly get there cut wood or logs all the others may never get anything. Is this absurd? Good Lord.

I think in the begining the owners intentions were good to make money for investors but as years went by and complaints mounted the owner soured because having to answer thousands of complaints. The average investor only sees the good side of owner by the website .There is a different guy underneath the mask.

This forum and posters are important to warn other potential investors of the danger of investing in Tropical trees in other countries inclusing Costa Rica TATFs.So far Teak investments like this have been poor to say the least. Ponzi?

Thank God I recovered most of my investment I had to beg and henpeck the owner with about 300 emails and letters and phone calls .After abandoning me as investor I had no other choice than to sell the remaining trees for 10 bucks apiece.Took a loss. Thanks Steve!

If I lived in Texas like Dupe I would of used the AG but here in Florida it is different.
Justiceforall."<<