Buying my first claim. Any do’s or dont’s?

[OneStudPuppy]

Ok, have been kicking around for a few days, and in contact with the seller.
After doing my taxes tonight and realizing I have a few extra things to sell.
I have made a decision I think I am going to be buying my first claim.
Now from what I understand it’s just a quit claim deed from the original owner naming me
The new owner. Is there anything else I have to do other then the yearly blm fees?

Is there anything I should know other wise ?
Any and all input is welcome! Thanks

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Family Maps of Hinds County, Mississippi, Deluxe Edition - Grab it through Amazon!

[Clay Diggins]

Just



...dont.

Heavy mistake

 

[ecmjamsit]

I had to record the claim with the county. Then there is an annual report to the BLM and a ten dollar fee. You could probably file your own claim. You need a GPS that can read Lat. & Lon. Maybe buy a book on staking a claim?

Yes I bought a mining claim. The amount of research to make it profitable is unbelievable. But it seems that it can make me money. Just one hell of a lot of work.

 

[Clay Diggins]

I had to record the claim with the county. Then there is an annual report to the BLM and a ten dollar fee. You could probably file your own claim. You need a GPS that can read Lat. & Lon. Maybe buy a book on staking a claim?

Yes I bought a mining claim. The amount of research to make it profitable is unbelievable. But it seems that it can make me money. Just one hell of a lot of work.

You didn't file a transfer of interest with the BLM? What did you have to record with the county?

You can't locate a claim by coordinates. Claims can only be located by aliquot part or metes and bounds legally. Your GPS can't do either of those.

Heavy Pans

 

[OneStudPuppy]

Just
...dont.

Heavy mistake

Curious if why not? To understand.
I PM’ed you some of the information I didn’t want to publicly shout out.

 

[Goldwasher]

because you don't know how to claim one.

How would you know if your buying a legit claim if you don't know how to find one on your own.

That's why guys flip claims they can add value and sell it to people who don't know better.

Furthermore if your not gonna be there three or four days a week at least how will you ever really work it.


Put down your wallet...pick up more experience....save a lot of money

 

[Clay Diggins]

Basically what Goldwasher wrote.

If you don't have the knowledge and experience to make your own claim you don't know enough to buy and maintain a claim.

Thanks for sending some details in private. From that information I found out more than the current claim owner is sharing with you.

The claim is a little more than a year old. The reason for that is when the current owner made a claim in the same place a few years ago he sold it to a newbie like you. Predictably the newbie didn't understand what was required to maintain the claim and lost the claim after the first year. The former owner reclaimed the location the day after it was closed and now is offering the same location to you.

In the business this is known as a rinse and repeat operation. There are several dozen claim flippers in the west who do this for a living. They know the odds of the newbie actually hanging on to the claim are slim. They can resell these claims every year or two. This claim is on it's second round. The seller is not a known claim flipper but his MO is the same.

It costs about $270 to locate a 20 acre claim. The value of the claim remains there until there is proof of a valuable mineral deposit established with testing and documentation. The value of the claim is then based of the actual known gold deposit. If the deposit is good the value can rise above that $270 and if the deposit is poor the value goes down from the $270.

There are several open areas along the creek you have an interest in. In the immediate area of the claim for sale there appears to be about 20 acres of open land right on the creek. The private property there will have to be checked for the actual boundaries to avoid overclaiming private land. The area is in a power withdrawal so you will need to add the required notice to your location documents and wait 30 days before you begin mining. I learned about the power withdrawal from the Master Title Plat for that Township. If you haven't reviewed the Master Title Plat you haven't even started the basics of due diligence required to make an informed purchase.

I doubt the person selling the claim gave the power withdrawal notice on the location. It doesn't appear so from the Serial Register page. The BLM will eventually get around to reviewing the location for status compliance, in California that could be a few years. If the location didn't comply with the power withdrawal requirements the claim will be closed. Your big bucks claim will go to zero value.

Take the time to learn how to prospect open ground, find a promising area and make a valid location and you will have an actual mining claim with full knowledge of it's potential value to you. Mining claims are real estate but there are no laws backing your purchase. The quit claim that the claim is transferred with is only a transfer of the sellers interest in the claim. It is not a full title transfer. There may be other interests, owners, restrictions or clouds on the title that the seller isn't telling you about. I mentioned two above, there may be more.

The "shortcut" of buying a claim actually requires more groundwork to ensure your title is good than just locating your own claim. It's not really a shortcut at all. I suggest you start by figuring out where the open land is near the claim for sale and testing it. You can prospect all you want on that open land and if you find there is good gold there you can locate a claim - for about $270.

Heavy Pans

 

[OneStudPuppy]

because you don't know how to claim one.

How would you know if your buying a legit claim if you don't know how to find one on your own.

That's why guys flip claims they can add value and sell it to people who don't know better.

Furthermore if your not gonna be there three or four days a week at least how will you ever really work it.


Put down your wallet...pick up more experience....save a lot of money

sounding better daily

Basically what Goldwasher wrote.

If you don't have the knowledge and experience to make your own claim you don't know enough to buy and maintain a claim.

Thanks for sending some details in private. From that information I found out more than the current claim owner is sharing with you.

The claim is a little more than a year old. The reason for that is when the current owner made a claim in the same place a few years ago he sold it to a newbie like you. Predictably the newbie didn't understand what was required to maintain the claim and lost the claim after the first year. The former owner reclaimed the location the day after it was closed and now is offering the same location to you.

In the business this is known as a rinse and repeat operation. There are several dozen claim flippers in the west who do this for a living. They know the odds of the newbie actually hanging on to the claim are slim. They can resell these claims every year or two. This claim is on it's second round. The seller is not a known claim flipper but his MO is the same.

It costs about $270 to locate a 20 acre claim. The value of the claim remains there until there is proof of a valuable mineral deposit established with testing and documentation. The value of the claim is then based of the actual known gold deposit. If the deposit is good the value can rise above that $270 and if the deposit is poor the value goes down from the $270.

There are several open areas along the creek you have an interest in. In the immediate area of the claim for sale there appears to be about 20 acres of open land right on the creek. The private property there will have to be checked for the actual boundaries to avoid overclaiming private land. The area is in a power withdrawal so you will need to add the required notice to your location documents and wait 30 days before you begin mining. I learned about the power withdrawal from the Master Title Plat for that Township. If you haven't reviewed the Master Title Plat you haven't even started the basics of due diligence required to make an informed purchase.

I doubt the person selling the claim gave the power withdrawal notice on the location. It doesn't appear so from the Serial Register page. The BLM will eventually get around to reviewing the location for status compliance, in California that could be a few years. If the location didn't comply with the power withdrawal requirements the claim will be closed. Your big bucks claim will go to zero value.

Take the time to learn how to prospect open ground, find a promising area and make a valid location and you will have an actual mining claim with full knowledge of it's potential value to you. Mining claims are real estate but there are no laws backing your purchase. The quit claim that the claim is transferred with is only a transfer of the sellers interest in the claim. It is not a full title transfer. There may be other interests, owners, restrictions or clouds on the title that the seller isn't telling you about. I mentioned two above, there may be more.

The "shortcut" of buying a claim actually requires more groundwork to ensure your title is good than just locating your own claim. It's not really a shortcut at all. I suggest you start by figuring out where the open land is near the claim for sale and testing it. You can prospect all you want on that open land and if you find there is good gold there you can locate a claim - for about $270.

Heavy Pans

interesting changes, nice catches! I really appreciate it and I’m sure you see why I like that area!
There is a camp ground NE OF IT by a mile or
Two my friends got a membership to. Gives ability to camp and go.
My GPAA BOOK is supposed to be here today.
It has been some time since I did loan processing so admittedly so I have t
Read a title on a property in years and don’t have those connections I used to when
It came to ability to run reports.

I think I’ll nicely decline and hope I can find someplace not to picked on gpaa for now and
Search for some open non claimed areas too.
I love the thought of my own claim I admit.
More work but less picked at least one would hope.
That canyon is my happy place. Little bit of sanity

 

[OneStudPuppy]

Interesting too they claimed to have owned for 4 years, but it shows transfer from owner to someone else then back..

 

[OneStudPuppy]

Wonder if I can find any claim owners up in that area with water running through actively that would rent a day or two for me to take my freinds kids and start showing them prospecting. I already asked em if they would want to go, tell a kid about it and you can find gold they light up with excitement.
Gpaa book came in and one section looks dry other in not sure about my truck and making it into the other claim..

 

[oneguy]

Wonder if I can find any claim owners up in that area with water running through actively that would rent

I was also looking for a claim in a certain area and I was allowed to prospect one and purchase for x amount. I made an offer that wasn't accepted and it was sold to another. Well I ended up meeting the new owners and asked if they would do a lease type deal and they accepted. We scratch each others backs.....they get a little bit of dough, I get to "play", they get pics and info of what I find and where I find it, they show up only a few times a year, I "keep an eye" on claim, pick up beer cans, make a presence to any potential hi graders, etc.

The claim process is so confusing to me, the county recorder couldn't help me, half the claims aren't marked well, no more maps with the claims shown anymore, and on and on. I'm still looking for a claim kinda but the lease type deal was by far the least costly in money and headache (for me) and was instant. Not to mention there's gold there......so it's suits my hobbie needs just fine and I believe they are glad that somebody is watching the claim, etc. Ask around....??

PS....forgot to mention, last week the owner of a lode claim that borders the one I access called and I asked him if he's had any luck on his claims with a detector? He told me he's never used one. I asked about his lode claim that has exposed bedrock on a steep hill and if I could scratch around with my detector? He said "have at her....keep anything you find, just tell me what you find"..... So one thing could lead to another? 20 acres turns into 40 and I pay a very small fee for only 20......

 

[OneStudPuppy]

Clay, how did you get back beyond 2016?

 

[Clay Diggins]

Clay, how did you get back beyond 2016?

The records go back to 1976. I have the full database of all claims on my system. Updated twice a month.

He didn't get the claim "back" from anyone in 2016. That claim was closed by the BLM for not providing a copy of their Notice of Intent public recording.

The claim he is offering for sale is less than a year and a half old. He made a new claim the day after the old claim was closed September 2016. The new claim has a different name but it's in the same location.

Do a search for his name (customer report) on the LR2000 and you can see what he did.

Heavy Pans

 

[KevinInColorado]

Learn the basics of filing a claim here:
http://findinggoldincolorado.com/how-to-file-a-mining-claim/

PS I’d love any feedback on needed edits from the pro’s here!

 

[Clay Diggins]

Learn the basics of filing a claim here:
How to file a placer mining claim in Colorado ? Finding Gold in Colorado

PS I’d love any feedback on needed edits from the pro’s here!

That's a very well written, well researched and informative article Kevin!
Feedback sent.

Thanks for all you do Kevin.

Heavy Pans

 

[okbasspro]

because you don't know how to claim one.

How would you know if your buying a legit claim if you don't know how to find one on your own.

That's why guys flip claims they can add value and sell it to people who don't know better.

Furthermore if your not gonna be there three or four days a week at least how will you ever really work it.


Put down your wallet...pick up more experience....save a lot of money

Law does not state I must work my claim 3 or 4 days a week it says I have to do $100 worth of labor a year or pay my maintenance fee. I would love to work it that often but its a 1200 mile each way haul. I do not mean any disrespect but you seem to think if a person can not work a claim full time they shouldn't have one. We all have the same right to locate and hold a claim regardless of how often we can work it. I will retire one day and I have good ground waiting for me.

 

[Goldwasher]

Law does not state I must work my claim 3 or 4 days a week it says I have to do $100 worth of labor a year or pay my maintenance fee. I would love to work it that often but its a 1200 mile each way haul. I do not mean any disrespect but you seem to think if a person can not work a claim full time they shouldn't have one. We all have the same right to locate and hold a claim regardless of how often we can work it. I will retire one day and I have good ground waiting for me.

That's not what I'm saying or think.

My point is for a guy who just got started prospecting...who just joined the GPAA that paying thousands for something you can't even go to except occasional planned weekends is not the best way to secure an area with gold to dig. And learn how to prospect.

I know what is required to keep a claim and I did not say you have to go several days to keep it.

I was implying that it just may not be the best thing to do.

I have two claims, access to many others and private land because I help people and make the right friends.

I help people locate claims on their own so that they don't get ripped off by guys like the one selling the claim that Onestud almost got scammed on.

I put a lot of effort into helping people learn to find gold and areas that are open to do so.


I also sponsor a mylandmatters map so I can be part of helping Clay and Lady Clay do the same while contributing to the community as a whole.


Believe me Basspro I know the laws and our rights....and that is not what I was pointing out to the OP.

 

[okbasspro]

Goldwasher I see your point I also give support to LandMatters. I did not mean any disrespect I know you are aware and follow the mining laws. I also learned a lot from your post. I agree I would never buy a claim with so much open ground to be had with a little research.

 

[Goldwasher]

Also of note...If you haven't proven your claim...and happen to live say several states away....

And BLM decides to challenge your validity.. it can be pretty hard to pass the prudent man rule.


BLM kicked all kinds of people off of their claims in the '70's because they were not actually working them.

 

[Johnnybravo300]

I wouldn't take anything California does as normal. There are claims all over the us that aren't being worked. Cali is more worried about putting people in jail for using drinking straws or the wrong pronouns hehe.
They've already crushed mining productivity without a chirp from anyone and they are on to making other things illegal now. Mining is old news.