I sat down with John on Friday the 24th of January 2014 for about an hour. The conversation went well as best I could determine and he was to contact Miller at the bank on Monday about the value of the ranch. He had no idea it was worth about double what we owe. We agreed that Freedom Ranch would pay $2,500 and we would pay $1,500 to cover the January payment. I also told John I would check with Greg Roberson about updating the appraisal which I did on Monday. I ask Greg how much to update the bank appraisal he did towards the end of 2011 and that we also wanted it in three parts. We wanted the value the individual parcels in case we did decide to sell off one or more parts. I also told John, had he come to me when they first came up with their plan we would have done whatever it took as always. Selling the front and back would have been our last choice but were we able to work the ranch house into the deal then the ministry would be free to continue and we would only have the equivalent of a car payment to contend with and would still have over half a million dollars’ worth of property. It was about this point John asked if I wanted to try to get back together to which I responded “you made it clear God told you it was over and we heard the same. I will not second guess God and I don’t think you should either.” He nodded his head in response. I told him I had asked Miller if we could make interest only payments on the note and he allowed that we could if we listed the property with a realtor. I told him it could be shown by invitation only and no one would need to know until we had a buyer. John mentioned Bobby Tucker but it doesn’t matter to me as long as it’s with someone that will be aggressive. When we parted it appeared to me that he was feeling somewhat better about the prospect. Bottom line is it looks like it going on the block unless John changes his mind.
Below is John’s response after he first agreed with me on Friday to pay the January payment:
George,
After our conversation last Friday I met with Tom and Elton and told them of your desire to sell the ranch for whatever we think it might be worth. I specifically asked them if they would continue to pay rent to help us make the mortgage payment until we sold the ranch. Their response was negative since they both said if we were going to sell the ranch they would need to start looking for another place and had no interest in living here any longer than necessary. They also said if the ministry was not going to continue here they had no reason to make that kind of sacrifice. I told them you suggested that we might pay them back (with interest) whatever amount they paid, but they were not interested. I doubted they would go along with that idea since they both wanted to buy the front according to the original plan I told you about.
Likewise, I spoke to the Alpha board members about continuing to pay rent for the use of the property. They also said they were not interested in spending any more money on something they did not own, especially if they have to relocate when the ranch is sold. They also reminded me of our agreement that if the ranch was sold Alpha Ministries would receive a minimum of $300,000.00 for their building and other improvements made to the ranch. I told them that I would honor that agreement and would refuse to sign any agreement or contract that did not assure them repayment, I have never and will never use Alpha Ministries for my own personal gain.
As I told you when we started this discussion, I am not able to make the payments any more and the best I could do was get a two month extension on our loan with the bank so we did not have to pay the November and December payments. It took all I had in the Alpha account and my own personal account to make October’s payment so we could have the extension for two months. I was hoping to have the process started to divide the ranch and contracts in place by the end of our extension so the bank would work with us on the payments until all was done. Obviously, time has run out. Now we are one month behind and owe another payment on the first of February. I do not have the money to make this up even if you are able to come up with half of it. The only way we can continue with your plan to list the ranch with a realtor is if you are able to make the payments. With Tom and Elton not paying and Alpha not paying, I am not going to make anymore payments on my house since I will lose it no matter what. I have no other option but to let the ranch go back to the bank.
I am sorry it has to be this way. I was hoping we could work together for the sake of the ministry like we did at the beginning. That is what I thought I was doing in dividing the ranch among those who are committed to the ministry here and trying to get at least $25,000-$50,000 cash for you. I still don’t understand what is so bad about that deal.
Note: This is at the end of January and is the first mention of any compensation to the Sweatt’s.
I met with John on Tuesday evening the 11th at the ranch for about an hour. I ask John if he had any hope of John Hales helping him in anyway including trying to buy the property in the event of a foreclosure sale. He said John Hales had talked about buying it in foreclosure. I told him if he was willing to set down with our attorneys that we may be able to come to some agreement rather than drag this through the courts. I did tell him we have been going through the checks and records and had found things that needed explaining but had no desire to dig into any of it as I had “no idea what would turn up.” I also told him “we’ve also got drug problems on the ranch” and he never said a word about that which tells me he knows I know more than I’m telling. I ask him if he remembered when we first made the offer to Norman Hales based on the value of the property. He at first said he didn’t remember or think we made an offer so I reminded him we did and that Norman sent back a counter offer of a few hundred more than the appraised value. He did remember that and that he and I had decided it was OK even though several of the board members wanted us to make a counter offer. After we accepted John Hales told John “I’m glad you didn’t make a counter offer because Norman said he would have put the price so high we could not afford the property.” At no time did I talk to John Hales or Norman Hales. My contact was only with John Glenn and everything went through him to John Hales and then to Norman as far as I knew. I then again ask if that was the way he remembered it went down to which he answered yes. I then told him we in fact bought the property from John Hales, Pam Hales, Don Renfranz and Lisa Renfranz. I told him to check the deeds and offered to send copies which I did the next day. I also said “I don’t know what you call that but I call it deception.” If you can live with that, it’s not my problem as that is between you and the Lord. ..........This section withheld until it can be verified......................................................................... . We talked a little about Miller Couse and the idea he sent to me and why that wouldn’t work. I did tell him the 99 year agreement between Alpha and Freedom Ranch was enforceable even if it is not recorded. If the courts get involved then the court appointed person will collect rent and evict anyone including Alpha Ministries that does not pay up. I told him our attorney said the best option was for the three of us to set down and see if we could work out something. He asked “what do you and Dorothy want?” I reminded him that he had said we could pay $313,000 plus $300,000 for the building if we wanted to buy him out. I reminded him that if we lost the property or sold it to a third party the $300,000 was not an issue. Even If we bought it and the agreement between Freedom and Alpha was enforceable we would only owe $150,000 as we were equal partners. For the first time I gave him a price of $365,000 for us “to go away”. The attached PDF is what I sent John yesterday to show him who owned the property that we thought we were buying from Norman. Also below is the message I got from John this morning and you can clearly see he is not happy.
February 13th 2014
George
John’s email reply from Thursday Feb 13th
Are you implying that John Hales purposely scammed us into buying the ranch rather than another property like J&J? If so, I would remind you that it was Dorothy who said the Lord told her this was the property as soon as we came on it. It is true that I believed this was the place, but we did not negotiate with John at all since he was skeptical that Norman would sell in the first place. Your comments the other day about the Hales family and John, specifically, lead me to believe you think he is trying to manipulate us for his own personal gain rather than help the ministry. As far as it being divided into three separate properties, I don’t know what John knew about it, but it makes no difference since we wanted the whole piece.
As far as trusting John Hales goes, I don’t trust him any more than I trusted you and Dorothy. I know you stated over and over again how you just wanted to get us a place where we wouldn’t be forced to leave by people who did not agree with us. You even apologized for not being able to make the land payments for us and were disappointed that we had to pick them up through Alpha Ministries. I even remember you stating that if you could you would pay it off and just sign the ranch over to us. Over the years I have learned to put no trust in man. People change, God doesn’t. As I stated in an earlier letter I have watched you change from supporting the vision and Alpha Ministries here at the ranch to one of indifference at best and finally total disgust as expressed by your wife. We’ve come a long way to the point that I am now waiting to hear from your lawyer as to when we can figure out how we can screw Alpha Ministries and those living here to make sure you and Dorothy get $365,000.00 for you dedicated service to the Lord over the last 14 years. No, George, I don’t need to be enlightened as to how screwed up John Hales and his family really are. I believe the gospel for them as much as I do for you and Dorothy.
If you think you have uncovered “proof” that he (and I assume you include me as well) has done anything illegal or immoral save it for your lawyer. After all, we don’t want to get the lawyers involved do we? At least not my lawyer. Yours, of course, is more noble than a boy scout. So I will be glad to meet with you and your lawyer to discuss our options. And no, I don’t want to go to court and make a big deal out of this, not because I have anything to hide, but because I want to minimize the slander and gossip and try to follow the Biblical pattern for reconciliation within the body of Christ. Let me know when you hear something.
