It is totally legitimate to acquire and then sell a mining claim. It is also totally legal to acquire a claim with the sole intent of selling or leasing the claim to another person. No problem there. The problem is misleading your buyers with things that just really are not true. Leading your buyer to believe there is valuable ore on the claim when you have no sample data to show that is simply fraud.
What they sell is more like a dream than a business, with the buyer thinking that he can finally have his own claim and reap the financial benefits. Taking full advantage of the less experience “new” guys.
Take everything the seller says with a giant grain of salt – they want to make a sale and will tell you what you want to hear. Let the buyer beware!
Never buy a claim until you have the skills to go out and sample the claim and evaluate it for yourself. Until you have those skills, you have no business trying to buy a claim.
Never consider buying a claim until you have the knowledge needed to go out and acquire your own claim independently and maintain it with the government in good standing. You will need this information to determine if the claim you are buying is valid or not. Check the history on the MTO.
Never, never buy a claim without first inspecting it on site and in person, and performing a full property evaluation for yourself.
Buying a claim is a business decision and should be made like a business decision, not made as a daydream to seek and hope for something good.
While B.C. hobby miners are initially drawn to prospecting by dreams of riches and even the necessity of supplementing income, the pursuit quickly becomes more than just money. It’s not the finding of gold, it’s the search for it, and where it takes you.
There is no doubt there is a certain ambiance about getting out with friends or relatives to enjoy the outdoors, have a few beers, and roast some wieners over the campfire. That’s what our Provincial Parks and panning reserves are for. Think about that before you spend your hard-earned cash. If the claim in question does not have good gold, it is worth nothing! The only benefactor will be the Chevron gas station.
A Notice From The MTO:
It has been brought to our attention that recorded holders of Mineral Titles are posting advertisements for sale of titles that are in contravention of Section 60 of the Mineral Tenure Act.
If you have advertisements for the sale of mineral titles in BC or if you intend to post such an advertisement, Section 60 requirements read as follows:
A person who advertises a mineral title for disposition in any manner must not include more than the following in the advertisement:
1.) Price and terms for disposition.
2.) Person to contact, address and phone number.
3.) Name given to the property, record number, lot number or lease number.
4.) Geographic location.
5.) Geological features.
6.) A list of mining equipment to be included with the disposition.
The advertisement must also include the following statement in the advertisement in the same size and print as the body of the advertisement:
Warning – This property is offered for mining purposes only and ownership of the title to it does not include ownership of the surface rights or the rights to use the surface for residential or recreational purposes.
PLEASE NOTE:
Pictures and maps are not permitted in advertisements.
Results from and/or descriptions of any past mining or exploration activity, assay and test results, are not permitted in advertisements.
We are in contact with advertising websites such as eBay, craigslist, Kijiji, and others and they have been instructed to alert us to any ads that are not in compliance.
Failure to ensure that your advertisement is in compliance with Section 60 may result in enforcement action under Section 63 of the Mineral Tenure Act.