Originally published on usadailyreview.com
Lisa Adams and her two sisters (Anne Ehrlich and Penelope Cambier) had only recently inherited mineral rights on their late grandfather’s land when oil companies started calling.
They didn’t think much of it. In fact, they didn’t even know they owned any mineral rights. Selling it and celebrating with the cash they’d make in the arrangement quickly became an attractive idea. Unfortunately, there are oh so many pitfalls to the mineral rights process.
Many Offers, Some Fraudulent
Although Adams received letters and solicitations from many different companies, it was a Denver, CO organization that caught her attention. They wanted a piece of Adams’ land, one of the many oil-rich places in the US today. It seemed like the best offer, and Adams and her sisters wanted the cash.But, as these things too often go, they never saw a dime of that money. From 2014 to 2017, their primary emotion was confusion.
When Lisa contacted the salesman who gave her the deal, she was told the company couldn’t do anything with the rights. This was a deflection tactic. In reality, the company was in complete control of the mineral rights, despite not having paid.
For three years, Lisa didn’t hear another word of any mineral rights. That is until a Ferrari Energy employee contacted her with an offer. When the employee investigated, they found that the mineral rights were, in fact, registered to another company.But Lisa had never been paid!
This may sound outlandish, but it’s not unheard of.
Ferrari Energy to the Rescue
“At that point, I didn’t know what to do, and neither did my sisters,” Adams said. CEO Adam Ferrari of Ferrari Energy, though, had a few ideas.
“They did exactly what they said they would. They got the rights back—and I mean quickly,” Adams said. It didn’t take much- just to notify the fraudulent company that an investigation was underway. The fraudulent buyers soon collapsed, returning the rights.
Unfortunately, it happens this way so often. Big-name energy companies think they can get away with abusing their clients. They take advantage of client ignorance to do whatever they want with the land they haven’t paid for or have underpaid for severely. Ferrari Energy wasn’t having it.
Outcome
Once the case was won, the Ferrari team did what they came to do- they bought the mineral rights with integrity and honesty.
“I live on social security, and for me to get $125,000 that I didn’t even know I had… it’s just beyond belief for me,” Lisa Adams said. “I’m the little guy, and to have this come, it was such a blessing for me.”
Lisa still reaps the benefits of this fair transaction and feels connected to the salesman and the company that approached her with honesty and integrity. Some might think of salesmen as ‘just doing their job.’ But when the people at Ferrari Energy heard of this miscarriage of justice, it became something deeper. They knew they had to help any way they could.