$100 fee to maybe win a farm....

[tinan]

Mods.....I hope I am not breaking any rules by asking this, if so please remove. I am just curious who else may have entered this contest or if we're the only crazy ones. LOL

For those of you who live in Ohio, have you heard about and decided to enter the win a 43.5 acre farm in Ashtabula County OH? If you haven't heard about it, there is a couple in Colebrook Township that has decided to move to TN and rather than try to sell their home they want to give it away with an essay contest. They limited the entries to 3,000 with a $100 entry fee for their farm, which I think the news said is worth about $170,000. The wife said that she got the idea from an old Lifetime movie. My dh said we should enter and my mom said as soon as she saw it on the news she thought of us. Knowing that we have spent $100 in worse ways, we're taking our chance. We're probably just donating to help the people move, but I thought it was a win-win situation. They will make more than what their property is worth and someone else will be happy with a home and farm for the $100 plus title, taxes, etc.

Has anyone seen the movie the woman is talking about? Thanks!

 

[msmayor]

Mods.....I hope I am not breaking any rules by asking this, if so please remove. I am just curious who else may have entered this contest or if we're the only crazy ones. LOL

For those of you who live in Ohio, have you heard about and decided to enter the win a 43.5 acre farm in Ashtabula County OH? If you haven't heard about it, there is a couple in Colebrook Township that has decided to move to TN and rather than try to sell their home they want to give it away with an essay contest. They limited the entries to 3,000 with a $100 entry fee for their farm, which I think the news said is worth about $170,000. The wife said that she got the idea from an old Lifetime movie. My dh said we should enter and my mom said as soon as she saw it on the news she thought of us. Knowing that we have spent $100 in worse ways, we're taking our chance. We're probably just donating to help the people move, but I thought it was a win-win situation. They will make more than what their property is worth and someone else will be happy with a home and farm for the $100 plus title, taxes, etc.

Has anyone seen the movie the woman is talking about? Thanks!

I hadn't heard about it, but decided to google it up and see if I could find some information about it. What I found was probably not something the folks running this 'contest' would want to hear...

What they're doing is illegal in the state of Ohio.

Despite the fact that they're calling it an 'essay contest', the mere fact that they are accepting entry fees in the form of $100 per entry makes it a raffle. There are strict laws about who may legally run a raffle/game of chance, according to what I read:

a raffle is any chance based game where one pays a fee
in exchange for an opportunity to play with the understanding that he
or she has a potential to win something of value.

Ohio Revised Code § 2915.092 refers specifically to raffles, like the
one you described. The law in this regard is rather brief but clear
and to the point:

“(A) A charitable organization, a public school, a chartered
nonpublic school, a community school, or a sporting organization that
is exempt from federal income taxation under subsection 501(a) and is
described in subsection 501(c) (3), 501(c) (4), or 501(c) (7) of the
Internal Revenue Code may conduct a raffle to raise money for the
organization or school and does not need a license to conduct bingo in
order to conduct a raffle drawing that is not for profit.

(B) Except as provided in division (A) of this section, no person
shall conduct a raffle drawing that is for profit or a raffle drawing
that is not for profit.

(C) Whoever violates division (B) of this section is guilty of
illegal conduct of a raffle. Except as otherwise provided in this
division, illegal conduct of a raffle is a misdemeanor of the first
degree. If the offender previously has been convicted of a violation
of division (B) of this section, illegal conduct of a raffle is a
felony of the fifth degree.

HISTORY: 149 v H 512. Eff 4-3-2003; 150 v H 95, § 1, eff. 7-1-03.”

I would suspect that once the attorney general of the state learns about this, it will be shut down.

 

[ceecee]

I live in Ohio and haven't heard anything about it either. Are they wealthy? Why just give it away? Sounds fishy and illegal, because if they were "giving" it away, there would be now entry fee.

 

[tinan]

I am not sure, but I am guessing that there is a loophole in the law although I do not see it from what you have posted here from the ORC. The sheriff's department in that town stated that they have already spoken with the couple's atty. as well as the IRS to make sure that this was on the up and up.

 

[tinan]

CeeCee....they're not wealthy. They are allowing 3,000 essay entries with a fee of $100 each which is $300,000 for their farm which was stated to be worth about $170,000. Once they have received 3,000 entries the po box is supposed to be closed and any additional entries be returned to sender. So they will end up making more than what their farm is worth. For the $100 entry fee essay contest one would have a 1 in 3,000 chance of winning the farm. It has been posted all over the news and newspapers here.

 

[swilshire]

There is a similar contest for a house every year here to benefit a local children't hospital. I've never entered, because my luck is lousy, but this year they are auctioning off a great looking log cabin in the mountains. I think I'll make my donation. At least it's for a good cause.

Sheila

 

[lisajl]

hmm...no I have not heard of it! Maybe I should enter? I would love to live on a farm again.
My kids could run like idiots! It would be great.
If you do decide to enter, best wishes!! I hope you get it!

Lisa

 

[harleyquinn]

I haven't heard anything. My grandparents live in Rock creek.

Sounds like maybe a 'good' idea that might not actually work out. I hope you get your money back, if it is a scam!

 

[Lisa_M]

I always told DH I want to live in Ashtabula (I would drive through on my way to see him)....he says I would get bored there. Maybe I'll mention this to him. I do wonder about the legality of all this though....

 

[Adi12982]

I would suspect that once the attorney general of the state learns about this, it will be shut down.

UNLESS, they can pass off the entry fee to be for paying for the PO BOX and the "processing fee". . . I mean colleges charge anywhere from $20-$60 (at least when I applied for undergrad in 2001) and they don't have to accept you. . . . and it is a game of chance, less % that you will win and they keep the money just for reading your essay and looking at your transcript.


What does the essay have to be about anyhow?

 

[pandamom]

They have "House of Dreams" raffle here twice a year. Tickets are $100 each and the Grand prize is a million dollar home built anywhere in the US or 1 million cash. They also have tons of other prizes like cars, trips, rolexes, tv's, cameras, computers, etc. Chances of winning a prize are 1 in 15. We enter once a year and won a nice cd sound system last year. It is sponsored by a local rotary club and they've done some great things with the money they raised.

http://www.houseofdreamscharityraffle.org/

 

[Hedy]

Honestly? I think it sounds like a great way to waste $100. But hey, it's gambling-don't bet what you can't afford to lose.

 

[msmayor]

UNLESS, they can pass off the entry fee to be for paying for the PO BOX and the "processing fee". . . I mean colleges charge anywhere from $20-$60 (at least when I applied for undergrad in 2001) and they don't have to accept you. . . . and it is a game of chance, less % that you will win and they keep the money just for reading your essay and looking at your transcript.


What does the essay have to be about anyhow?

There's a huge difference between a contest and a processing fee when applying to a college. A college is a business entity subject to different laws than a private citizen.

Other organizations who run similar contests, where you buy a chance to win a dream home are also different as the proceeds benefit registered charitable organizations who are also subject to an entirely different set of laws.

Supposed they don't receive what they consider enough entries? Will you get your money back? Have they posted 'rules' anywhere?

 

[Danemom]

I've seen the movie. It is "The Spitfire Grill". http://imdb.com/title/tt0117718/

It's not a Lifetime movie - it was a regular movie - but it's probably shown on Lifetime now. They gave away their restaurant to the winner of an essay contest. Good luck in the contest!

 

[dodukes]

I am cracking up cuz i was just tellin gmy coworker who is selling (well sold) her hosue that we should do a raffle and limit it andf at $100 , i hadnt heard of this till now, but darn someone beat me to the idea. I think as long as you have a third party involved with it, its better so that it truly seems on the up and up. Good luck!!

 

[Marie17]

St. Jude's Dream House Giveaway is done this way.

Here where we live - they sell 8,000 tickets for $100.00 a piece. It is not tax deductible because it is a raffle/contest. But all money raised goes to St. Jude's Children's Hospital.

Local builders build the house, local companies upgrade appliances, countertops, flooring, etc.

Top prize - House
1st prize - new car
2nd prize - diamond ring
3rd prize - furniture

They have a total of 25 prizes each valued at over $2,000.

 

[Plantlady]

The Spitfire Grill...

It was a WONDERFUL movie. One of my favorites.

I don't know anything about the legality of it, but if you have 100 to spare, why not. Write a great essay!

 

[DMRick]

What's to stop them from picking their aunts nephews cousins brothers essay?

 

[mickeyfan2]

3,000 * $100 = $300,000 that is sure more than $170,000

Seems that the only winner are the sellers.

 

[fkj2]

I and one of the secretaries from work (and her hubby who trained as a chef) did this years ago; the house we wrote the essay for was a bed and brefex up in New England somewhere. This essay aspect probably raised the "asking price" the couple really wanted out of the business; otherwise, they'd have had to settle for a lot less.

But the judging of the essays was truly in "the eye of the beholder," or owners, in these situations. I was surprised to read what they considered to be the winning essay for the B&B. i wouldn't do it again.