Usalandinvest.com - SCAM - Land Scam - usalandinvest.com is a land scam site owned by Michale Leu - Michael Leu is known to sale land which doesn't exist. Below are sites which tell of his bad dealings in the past.
Http://bradleyb.Biz/CostaScam/? Page_id=6 it talks about Michael Leu and the land he sold to a guy in Costa Rica on ebay and various other sites on the internet. He now sales land at USALANDINVEST.com
This is quoted from the website, "To Whom It May Concern,
My name is Jonathan Wheby and I supposedly bought a 1.75 acre lot near Margarita, Costa Rica, this past spring through a friend, Jeff Barnes. The non-existent land was purchased from:
Michael Leu
Owner/President
USA Land Invest.com Inc.
7705 St. James Dr.
Mentor, Ohio 44060
440.974.5811 (phone/fax)
[email protected]
Www.usalandinvest.com
Www.crlandinvest.com
In receipt for the sale I was mailed a Quit-Claim-Deed from and signed by Michael Leu and notorized in the State of Ohio for:
Lot #572,2nd District of Sixaola, of the Fourth County of Talamanca, Puerto Viejo, Province of Limon, Costa Rica, allotted acreage being 1.75 acres
Part of Folio Real: 7-01348
When he sent the papers to me there was a page with his business card stapled to it and a note saying something to the effect of ‘Nothing to do now but file with your important papers’
I made plans to fly to Costa Rica from October 29th until November 18th. Beyond my own lot, I was representing a number of other people who had also bought lots from Leu through Jeff Barnes. A few of these people are personal friends of mine that I enticed to buy the property and, even though I made all sorts of disclaimers about making their own decisions before they wrote any checks, feel somewhat responsible.in the weeks leading up to my trip I began to correspond by email with Leu concerning the property. I inquired about how I was to go about transferring the property into my name. He informed me that I needed to go to Costa Rica and arrange a Power-of-Attorney. I asked about survey maps to locate Lot #572 and he was very vague and allusive. He provided a survey map of the entire property, which was registered and stamped by the Costa Rican National Registry. I asked him again to provide maps to locate Lot #572 specifically within the subdivision that was presented with the sales pitch. He tried to run me in circles, but I pressed him and Leu eventually told me there are no maps. Although he sells land as individual numbered lots and presents different subdivision maps on the websites he sells on, complete with roads and roundabouts, I was informed that there isn’t a subdivision, there are no actual maps, and that there isn’t a Lot #572. That seemed a bit like bait-and-switch, but my intention was to procure the land I bought, so I pressed forward. I asked him how we were going to solve the problem of me locating and getting the land I purchased and he informed me that I should go to Costa Rica, we would create a Power-of-Attorney, and I could survey out a parcel the size of the total of what the group of us bought from his large parcel. I asked about what part of the larger parcel we should consider because we wanted to know the location of where other purchasers of land had claimed their land so we would not overlap. I was informed I should look in the NE corner. I later figured out this was another ruse to keep me occupied and to keep his bluff going.
I asked him for his lawyer, or any contact in Costa Rica, and replied that he had no contacts in Costa Rica.
I came across a web page alledging that sales of land in this area by Michael Leu was a scam hosted by a realtor named Manuel Pinto (www.caribesur-realestate.com/margarita/). I asked Leu about this and he said he was suing him and sent something that looks like a legal paper, but doesn’t mention anything about Manuel Pinto. Later, when I met Manuel Pinto, he informed me he has never been served with any sort of legal papers. Leu has threatened him on a number of occasions and Leu has been saying to the world that he is suing him for more than five years, but Mr. Pinto has never been served with any sort of legal action by Leu. Once again, Leu puts up a lot of bluster and bluff with no substance.
In the days before I left I asked Leu ‘from the heart’ to explain the situation to me. Things didn’t look straightforward, there was this Scam Webpage, and I didn’t want to waste time and money traveling to a foreign country for no reason. He made it clear that if I went to Costa Rica that I would be able to procure my land.
I flew to Costa Rica on October 29th and on October 30th I went to the Costa Rican National Registry and procured copies of the official survey map of the large parcel. I also went to the US Embassy and asked for the person I should report to if this did turn out to be a scam. I was hoping that the situation could somehow be resolved and I would somehow end up with some land, but I certainly was operating with the knowledge that I could be embarking on a wild goose chase.
The next day I made my way to Peurto Viejo, which is near the non-existent property area. I spent days hiking to the area attempting to locate the property myself, but was unable to. It was obvious to me, though, that there are no ocean views from the land area, as claimed by Leu, mainly because a mountain is situated between the area and the ocean. There are also no roads or nearby utilities, as claimed by Leu. The pictures he presents are from the area, but have no relation to the labels he puts on them. For instance, during my own attempts to locate the land I stopped at a house which was behind a gate pictured by Leu on his websites labeled ‘entrance to property’ and the caretaker told me it was privately owned and I was the fifth person he had met showing him the same survey map. I was in contact with Leu on a regular basis. I kept asking for more information. I asked how many other people had procured their land in their name from the larger parcel. He replied that none had (after 20 years of selling probably hundreds and hundreds of small lots!). I then asked him why he was pointing us to the NE corner if there wasn’t one single other landowner, without much of an answer. Leu tends to send copies of attachments he has already sent instead of answering direct questions, which is a ruse. I asked him to commence getting a Power-of-Attorney in place, but he informed me that it would take a month to get an appointment at the Costa Rican Embassy near him, yet he knew for weeks beforehand that I had intentions of getting this done during my trip and took no action. This was another attempt to frustrate and thwart me, as he has done to so many before me. I informed him I had lawyers and a surveyor and I had the intention of surveying out the most logical parcel of land with the most logical access and would generally leave that up to the surveyor. His response was strange: he said that maybe Jeff Barnes had not informed me of everything and that maybe I should get a refund from him. My reply to that was questioning him why he was bringing up such things as refunds when business was positive and moving forward and I hadn’t even met the surveyor yet. I didn’t receive a response before I met the surveyor and a representative from MINAET (the government forestry department) and we went to the non-existent property area. Using the official survey map coordinates and GPS the surveyor and MINAET representative demonstrated to me that the land could not exist where the map says it does. We stopped at the house of a landowner in the area and he said we were the third people who had come to his house with the same map. The landowner, who has lived on and owned his land for something like forty years, presented his official survey map, which overlaps with the survey map from Leu, which is impossible. The landowner said he was going to get a gun for the day Leu showed up. My surveyor wondered how the map could have made its way to the National Registry and been stamped as legitimate and was going to attempt to locate the original surveyor, whose credentials were on the map, and question him and possibly try to have his license stripped. The MINAET representative told me about how much he loved his job and loved the forest and was very offended about the situation and recommended that I enlist a “instrumento de maloâ€, which I translated as ‘instrument of badness’, to go after Leu. I agreed with the sentiment, but said that going after him legally was the path I was going to take. We returned to my lawyers’ office and I changed the manner in which I had hired them. Originally they were to assist with the process of getting the land transferred into my name, but now I was wanting them to take statements and collect proof from the two men and create a legal document, which would be presented to the Costa Rican National Registry to commence an official investigation into the fraudulent map and possibly to lawyers in America if the need arose to sue Leu. I then emailed Leu and informed him I had proof. He didn’t ask me what sort of proof or for me to present the proof to him; He offered to pay me a direct refund for the land PLUS travel expenses. Earlier that day he was telling me I should get a refund from Jeff Barnes, but now that I said I had proof he was offering a refund plus expenses himself. I would expect an honest man to offer a refund and even pay expenses, but an honest man would be surprised, want to know about the proof to make sure it was fact, and then would suspend any further sales. Michael Leu has been aware that there are problems with his land for many years. There are still lots for sale on multiple websites. Michael Leu is not an honest man, although his website claims:
“We are an incorporated real estate investment company, family owned. All properties displayed are our personal family land. As an educator of 30 years, I have supplemented our family income through real estate purchases and sales. We have grown to a present point of incorporation having hundreds of families who have invested with ours. Our land has been carefully studied and selected for quality living areas and future land value appreciation. We encourage your family also to invest with our family as we make real estate investment connections to special areas of our great country." To read the rest, go to the website, http://bradleyb.Biz/CostaScam/? Page_id=6
Usalandinvest.com is known to sell other places under the name Michael Leu - One such site is, http://www.caribesur-realestate.com/margarita/
Here is what it says about Michael Leu (aka, Usalandinvest.com)
"1.75 Acre Lots in Margarita Sixaola sold Fraudulently on the Internet
This page has been created and updated due to the continuous flow of clients that have contacted or visited our offices looking for land they have purchased on the Internet over the past few years. The number of victims appears to be increasing and we feel it is time to do whatever possible to stop this real estate scam. Countless people have fallen victim to the scam outlined below... And no one has ever been able to stop the perpetuator - YET! By putting this information together, we hope to accomplish several things:
1. Bring awareness to local community and the internet public of the existence of this scam. Most potential buyers of these properties would most likely do a search for information on the seller and properties. We hope they will come across this information prior to sending their money to the seller.
2. Provide a wealth of information available to victims, law enforcement personnel and agencies. The perpetuator has created a web of deceitful information that many victims, topographers, attorneys and law enforcement officials have had a hard time pinpointing. The perpetuator is a professional and has created a web of misinformation to trick his victims. We hope this presentation speaks for itself and will provide enough information to cease this activity.
3.inform victims of the scam and discourage them from attempting to resell the same scam (unknowingly) to other potential buyers - as is actively happening today. Many victims have been successful in getting refunded when they put sufficient pressure on the seller.
4. Bring awareness to real buyers: DO NOT EVER purchase real estate sight unseen!!!
5. Discourage the perpetuator to stop these activities by exposing his tactics and hopefully sending him where he belongs!
As a professional and licensed realtor in Costa Rica, I would like make a few statements about purchasing real estate in Costa Rica: Despite this bold scam that has been going on for many years and has yet to be stopped, this is an exception and a rare one. It is otherwise not dangerous or risky to purchase real estate in Costa Rica - IF - you follow the same laws and principles you would in your own country. First and foremost, NEVER purchase something you have not seen! To my knowledge, none of the people who have purchased these lots had visited the area or seen the properties prior to purchasing them. Second, always work with a recommended and licensed realtor - there is a reason why they are licensed and have established a reputation. And third, the golden rule: If it is too good to be true... Then it IS too good to be true! The offered prices (usually under US$10,000) are far cheaper then anything else you could find around here and are certainly attractive and easy to purchase with a credit card.
The Scam:
The perpetuator, the seller, Mr Michael Leu, and perhaps his surrogates promotes and sells lots located just outside the Puerto Viejo area near Margarita - Sixaola. Weunderstand that he also runs a similar operation on the other coast near Jaco. The lots are mostly promoted as 1.75 acre ocean view lots. He usually sells them individually, sometimes 2 or 3 at a time and at other times has sold the ENTIRE block of over 100 lots to individual "investors"!
The lots may have been sold via the mail system prior to the existence of the Internet.in recent years, they have been sold on EBAY, his own web site CRLANDINVEST.com (which seems to have been taken down as of 2010_07), numerous auction sites, and many other real estate by owner web sites. Our agency has received a number of requests from unknown victims to "resell" their properties - only to be informed of this scam.
The lots are promoted as having ocean view. No properties in that area have ocean view.
The lots are promoted as ready to build with "nearby" electricity, roads and septic sewer systems in place. There is no electricity, there are no roads, there is no subdivision, there are no septic sewage systems, the land is raw jungle and sometimes very steep.
We checked with the local municipality and they have no knowledge of such a development. We checked with all the neighbors - including those on the supposed land survey - and none have ever heard of such a development - or such a neighbor!
Despite many victims that fly down to locate their investment once they have made the final payment - none have ever found the lots. Topographers have been hired - neighbors have been harassed - some even sued - and yet no buyer has ever ended up with what they purchased. We have asked Mr Michael Leu to come down and show us the lots, or send someone down that knows them - but we have been ignored. He has never done so - not for us and not for any of his buyers and he has blocked the emails addresses from angry folks trying to contacting him.
The "title" that the seller awards his buyers is a Quit Claim Deed in the US. Absolutely no legal Costa Rican paperwork, contract or sales document is provided. Buyers arrive in Costa Rica with apparent "proof" of their purchase with paperwork that is meaningless in this country. He has been presenting as proof that his title exists –a Stewart Title Guarantee. Stewart Title has been contacted and they have no such record of Mr Leu’s Title Guarantee.
The seller does provide a reference to a large titled property in the name of his corporation and a land survey, but this is most likely a fraud and it does not reflect the property that has been purchased. We have recently hired a licensed professional topographer to study the subject “planos†or land surveys. The report clearly demonstrates serious inconsistencies with the claimed location of the properties versus their original location – and further demonstrates that the seller’s “registered land†invalidates or sits on top of at least seven other legitimate land owners.
Since the transaction amounts are usually under US$10,000, it is often not worthy of the victim to pursue the claim legally as it can be expensive and tiresome. The seller is playing between 2 legal systems and somehow falling between the cracks of both - somehow evading law enforcement to stop his deceitful activities.
We have tried to contact Mr Leu about his activities. He did reply - only to say that he was under investigation and he could not discuss anything - prior to blocking my email address from contacting him again. Since then we have been unsuccessful in contacting him. However, we have received many threatening emails and telephone calls - informing us that we will be sued for "defaming" him. At first we took him seriously, but soon realized this is just a planned tactic of his to try to scare off his adversaries. He has recently been sending to all his “clients†that question his motives – a document supposedly saying that I – am the person defaming him and spreading false information – and occupying his land. Upon review of that “lawsuit†and accusation, neither my name nor any valid finca numbers are presented. At first we took him seriously, but soon realized this is just a planned tactic of his to try to scare off his adversaries.
An example: Where is lot 25?
The maps below show the lots that are being sold during the period July on the internet. Notice that the SAME map is being used at least 5 different times to resell the same lots - just changing the orientation of the map and the lots numbers. Keep in mind that these same lots have been sold and sold over at least the past 20 years! We took Lot 25 just as a random example and highlighted it in blue on the first map. ON the next 4 maps, you will notice that lot 25 gets moved to another location and on the next 3 maps, it is renumbered to a different series of lots. All of these maps are actively being marketing simultaneously on the Internet as of July. There is only one land survey (it is registered but we believe it is fraudulent), yet there are five different subdivisions!"
Read the full story at the following url...
Http://www.caribesur-realestate.com/margarita/
Usalandinvest.com should be reported to the following agencies;
Cleveland Ohio FBI Office:
FBI Cleveland
Federal Office Building
1501 Lakeside Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
(216) 522-1400
cleveland. Fbi. Gov
Perpetrator's Address:
7705 St. James Dr.
Mentor, OH 44060
Usalandinvest.com is a scam
Michael Leu is a ripoff!!!
Usalandinvest.com is Michael Leu!!!
Michael leu is now operating under the website name, Usalandinvest.com!!!
If you know other places Michael Leu is operating, please tell us here. If you know of other fake land deals let others know so they wont become another victim of Michael Leu and USALANDINVEST.com
Usalandinvest.com - Land Scam!!!
Oh, I just found another place that Michael Leu may be selling fraudulent land,
Http://www.landflip.com/land-for-sale-user.Asp? User_id=1852
Www.ioffer.com/user_profiles/show_old/usalandinvest
Www.bid4assets.com
Tampa. Blockshopper.com/sales/regions/central_tampa/Feb
Below is another listing of Michael Leu of Ohio...
Http://www.landsalelistings.com/usa/arizona/arizona-development-building-lot-discount/
Here is how it goes..
SOLD... County Approved Building Site:
CONTACT ME AT (send an email using the form below)
Full payment of just $950, and $150 for processing: Cashiers check, Money order, or Credit card using my Merchant Account.
Upon receiving your payment, your guaranteed Warranty Deed will be sent to you, along with a county form you need to sign, with simple diretions to mail to Cochise County for recording. Taxes just $25 per year, paid for this year... No other fees nor costs.
Arizona Sunsites, Unit 9, Lot 7, Block 822. 85 acres, parcel number 207-06-067-00-3, near Pearce, AZ, Cochise County, AZ, Lot located on Adams Street.
Sunsites is a planned development in SE Arizona, surrounded by mountains, and lot has beautiful mountain views. Nearby towns allows for medical facilities, schools, churches, restaurants, etc, and Sunsites has its own golf course, see link below. 4500 elevation and Arizona setting allows for sunny skies most every day. Day trips to a number of beautiful sites, see links below.
Sunsites is an attractive community of 1500, with nice homes, and a championship 18 hole golf course with club house. The development borders hundreds for acres of State Forest Land, accessible to all. 350 days of sunshie, clean/dry air. Hiking, biking, camping, fishing, bird watching, rock hounding, horseback riding, are just some of the activities.
Breathtaking views of the surrounding Dragoon Mountains.
The golf course has been purchased by a well funded company with plans to build 3000 homes. This is a nice land value appreciation purchase, as development increases, land values increase.
CUT AND PASTE to a Sunsites real estate forcast.
Developers eye Sunsites:
http://www.bensonnews-sun.com/articles/05/03/news/news1. Txt
CUT AND PASTE LINK to read about Golfing at Sunsites at the Shadow Mountain Golf course:
http://www.golfnow.com/course-directory/arizona-golf-courses/pearce-golf-courses/shadow-mt-country-club
Located at 4,200 feet elevation - clean, clear air.
Near Cochise Stronghold and the Coronado National Forest.
Sunsites has a championship 18 hole golf course, shopping, library, restaurants, churches, fire station, post office, and medical facilities.
Http://www.discoverseaz.com/Cities/Pearce.html Pearce/Sunsites
http://www.arizonaguide.com/wheretogo/City. Aspx? Ctid=447 Area info link
Http://www.tombstonetimes.com/stories/sunsites.html local news Sunsites article
Http://www.explorecochise.com / Cochise County History
Http://www.desertaura.com / Cochise County Picture Gallery
Lot size: 124 x 300 = 37,200 sq. Ft =. 85 acres.
Points Of Interest: CUT AND PASTE LINKS
Explore Cochise County: http://www.explorecochise.com/
Bisbee: http://www.discoverbisbee.com/
Wild Horse Adoption Program: http://www.blm. Gov/wo/st/en/prog/wild_horse_and_burro.html
Solar Power Program: http://www.azsolarcenter.com/
CONTACT ME AT (send an email using the form below)
For more information visit:
www.usalandinvest.com
Land Uses & Features
Residential • Horse Farm • For Sale By Owner (FSBO) • Views • Please see listing description
Property Location
Address: Arizona Sunsites, Unit 9, Lot 7, Block 822. 85 acres, parcel number 207-06-067-00-3, near Pearce, AZ, Cochise County, AZ, Lot located on Adams Street.
City/Town: Pearce
County: Cochise
Zip/Postal Code:
State / Province: Arizona
Country: United States
Michael Leu of Usalandinvest.com - is a scam artist.
Michael Leu is a scam!!!
Michael Leu is a scam!!!
Michael Leu is a scam!!!
Michael Leu is a scam!!!
Michael Leu is a scam!!!
Michael Leu is a scam!!!
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