Hyperion agent files more options on land for `Gorilla'
4:50 PM
By Michele Linck Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, June 29, 2007
Six additional documents have been filed over the last 10 days detailing the sale of options on more agricultural land in Union County, S.D.
Nearly all the land optioned is in the "Gorilla" zone, an area between Elk Point and Spink, S.D., with some of it quite close to Interstate 29, according to Janna Foltz, Union County register of deeds.
All six purchases were signed by the once-mysterious Richard E. White, whose employer was revealed June 13 as Hyperion Resources. The Dallas energy company had been anonymously optioning thousands of acres of land in that area for an equally mysterious "economic development project," dubbed the "Gorilla" by local residents. Hyperion acknowledged in June that it is assembling about 5,000 acres as a potential site for a "green," hydrogen-powered oil refinery.
The recent filings show that Craig Eidem committed two parcels southeast of Spink, of 40 and 119 acres; Norrell Quam sold options on 320 acres; and an adjacent 160 acres owned by Craig McInerny was also among the recently optioned land.
Records show Lyle Wagner sold options on four separate parcels including three along I-29, of 145 acres and 288 acres at Junction City, and a 67-acre parcel a couple miles south of it, as well as one 158-acre parcel about two miles northeast of Junction City.
Foltz said the company was very particular, for a reason she didn't know, that the document registrations be recorded two per day on June 21, 22 and 25.
They are the first options filed since April, when options signed by White on eight parcels of land were recorded, confirming publicly what many area property owners had known since early in 2006: some unidentified entity was working through area Realtors, putting together massive amounts of land in Union County for an unknown purpose.
South Dakota law does not require that real estate options be registered, only that actual sales are registered. A number of property owners have confirmed to the Journal that they sold land options through the Realtors, which White has yet to file with the register of deeds.
As with the initial eight options filed, Foltz said, the newly registered agreements expire on Aug. 31, and are renewable for three additional one-year periods.
Nearly all the land optioned is in the "Gorilla" zone, an area between Elk Point and Spink, S.D., with some of it quite close to Interstate 29, according to Janna Foltz, Union County register of deeds.
All six purchases were signed by the once-mysterious Richard E. White, whose employer was revealed June 13 as Hyperion Resources. The Dallas energy company had been anonymously optioning thousands of acres of land in that area for an equally mysterious "economic development project," dubbed the "Gorilla" by local residents. Hyperion acknowledged in June that it is assembling about 5,000 acres as a potential site for a "green," hydrogen-powered oil refinery.
The recent filings show that Craig Eidem committed two parcels southeast of Spink, of 40 and 119 acres; Norrell Quam sold options on 320 acres; and an adjacent 160 acres owned by Craig McInerny was also among the recently optioned land.
Records show Lyle Wagner sold options on four separate parcels including three along I-29, of 145 acres and 288 acres at Junction City, and a 67-acre parcel a couple miles south of it, as well as one 158-acre parcel about two miles northeast of Junction City.
Foltz said the company was very particular, for a reason she didn't know, that the document registrations be recorded two per day on June 21, 22 and 25.
They are the first options filed since April, when options signed by White on eight parcels of land were recorded, confirming publicly what many area property owners had known since early in 2006: some unidentified entity was working through area Realtors, putting together massive amounts of land in Union County for an unknown purpose.
South Dakota law does not require that real estate options be registered, only that actual sales are registered. A number of property owners have confirmed to the Journal that they sold land options through the Realtors, which White has yet to file with the register of deeds.
As with the initial eight options filed, Foltz said, the newly registered agreements expire on Aug. 31, and are renewable for three additional one-year periods.
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IowaBoy wrote on Jun 29, 2007 6:28 PM: