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Chemung County Natural Gas Coalition Organized by Landowners for Landowners. Membership is free, no broker or consulting fees.
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Fortuna penalized over tactics. NYS Attorney General Andrew Cuomo: Fortuna misled, bullied, and were deceptive to landowners. This issue has to do with the "Force Majeure" in many contracts. This link will take you to the NYS AG web page where you can read the actual statement dated November 24, 2009. The agreement with Fortuna Energy is allowing NY Land Owners to negotiate NEW natural gas leases and Fortuna agrees to stop misleading tactics to unilaterally extend leases on NY properties . Fortuna will allow hundreds of landowners out of the improperly extended leases and will pay $192,500 in settlement to New York State. Fortuna has agreed to rescind those letters on extending leases. Fortuna is the first to stop these practices but the Attorney Generals Office will continue to investigate the activities of other Drilling companies to insure that other New Yorkers who were wrongly pressured into lease extensions will have a chance to renegotiate their leases. Fortuna has agreed to remove any liens placed on the land of NY property owners whose leases have expired and whose leases did not clearly disclose that they could extended. The Attorney General commended Fortuna for its cooperation in the investigation and willingness to take corrective action. Dean Norton, President of New York Farm Bureau, said "Farmers actively preserve as working Nick Schoonover, Chairman of the Tioga Landowners Coalition, which represents 1,400 families and more than 102,000 acres in the Southern Tier, said "Attorney General Cuomo's involvement in this issue is a welcome addition that has produced positive results. He has been a vital partner to help protect landowners and to keep drilling companies honest. His office's understanding of landowners rights and tenacity to protect residents is a great asset and I look forward to continuing to work with his office to further protect NY property- owning families" The case was handled by Assistant Attorney General Michael J Danaher, Jr, under the supervision of Assistant Attorney General-in-Charge of the Binghamton Regional Office Dennis C McCabe and Deputy Attorney General for Regional Affairs, J David Sampson.
Updated January 21,2010
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