Club claim question

[LRC253]

I'd like to first start this post by saying I'm not going to say any names unless I feel like it's necessary but I'm really trying to get down to the bottom of my concern.

I joined a well known club and recently while I was doing some research found out that half of the "claims" this club is advertising aren't actually claimed at all. According to lr2000 there aren't even any closed claims on the land that were theirs either.....nothing..
There are 2 in the owners/clubs name and the rest are owned by someone else who probably is just getting paid to use the claim.
I was also just told that 1 of their claims is on top of newer stream that was man made because the new Hwy was built on the old channel.

To me it feels like they are taking advantage of people, and the more I look into this, the more the pieces fall into place.
I would like to know if anyone has any input on this and if this is a common thing for clubs to do? or are my suspicions right?

 

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[B H Prospector]

It could be as simple as those parcels were once club claims but because of poor production the club dropped those claims and their membership packet hasn't been updated showing the claims as dropped. Some clubs don't update their packets every year. I use to belong to a club that only did it every five years. Going to meetings keeps you updated.

 

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[KevinInColorado]

Prospecting is any time you are gathering (or seeking to gather) minerals NOT ON a federal mining claim or private property...mining is gathering minerals ON those lands.

 

[Bonaro]

 

[kayakpat]

I'd like to also point out that most clubs are "for profit" mainly because of the cost of locating filing and maintaining the claims that are there to use. I can't begin to count the amount of hours I've spent in cleaning up after others on claims, printing out new claim markers and reposting them after people tear them down etc. I am and have been a member of lots of clubs and they all have different personalities but I really haven't had any complaints about any of them and if I don't care for one I just don't renew. I've also heard all the complaints about no gold on the claims and some are better than others and some have gold that's spotty but just because "someone" doesn't find gold on a claim doesn't mean it's not there. Running a club and keeping claims open is an awful lot of work and is not cheap and it gives people a place to go in an area without all the hassle involved when most areas with gold are claimed pretty heavily, and if you are talking about the Swauk or Blewett area it's really hard because most of that area has been claimed tight for years. I'm not trying to defend anyone but if you're going to accuse someone or a club of something come out and say it not he said she said stuff. Rumors running around in the prospecting community aren't something we need when we've got so many other battles to fight.

The difference between for profit club and a non profits, both have membership dues, the non profit dues go 100% into the club maintaining claims and purchasing claims and improving the club , all money goes back into the clubs activities In a for profit a part of the money goes back into the club, and a part goes into the owners pocket as profit