An elderly Pennsylvania man turned down an offer of more than $15 million to sell his land to data center developers.
In an interview published on Feb. 16, Mervin Raudabaugh, 86, of Cumberland County, shared why he opted out of the $60,000 per acre that developers offered for his 261 acres in an interview with local outlet Fox 43.
“I was not interested in destroying my farms,” Raudabaugh, who has spent roughly 60 years farming in Silver Spring Township, told the news station. “That was the bottom line. It really wasn’t so much the economic end of it. I just didn’t want to see these two farms destroyed.”
Spoiler alert Many wonderful years later, after Mr. Raudabaugh lived a very full life, his descendants sold the land to the same developer for a fraction of the original offer (adj for inflation).
I don’t know why this is my immediate thought, but it is….
Not even a full life. He “mysteriously died” and the estate was sold for pennies.
I can totally see him not selling, data centers move in next door. then he starts selling off bit by bit because he can’t afford the property tax anymore.
That or his family gets a judge to declare he isn’t mentally sound because he turn down 15 million dollar deal.
Hes got 260 acres of land at 86. Hes clearly already a multimillionare that is happy with his home, and does not need the money to live.
Nothing insane in not giving up your family home of several decades for a bunch of money you cant really use.
EDIT: Reading the article, looks like he sold it to a land trust who will preserve it as is instead for $1.9 million. Seems to me he made the better deal after all.
I’ve been hearing about this happening. Farmers in the Northeast are getting incredible corporate/development offers for their land, and are turning it down. Meanwhile, they are selling off parcels fairly cheap to people who want to actually live on it and farm their parcels. It’s kind of a once in a lifetime opportunity right now, if you want to own a few acres in upstate New York or PA.
We’re strongly considering it for retirement. Beautiful country, nasty winters, though.
Ask for $1.5 billion.
