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written by reader Agri-investments – Simply Natural

By Anonymous Questions, August 15, 2015

Has anyone had any specific experience with Simply Natural, who are offering agri-investments in mango and lime farms in Panama. Legit or scam….?
http://simplynaturalfarms.com/

This is a discussion topic or guest posting submitted by a Stock Gumshoe reader. The content has not been edited or reviewed by Stock Gumshoe, and any opinions expressed are those of the author alone.

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investor77
Member
investor77
November 3, 2018 12:14 pm

Can anyone tell me how to access the Facebook group discussion Simply Natural? I have tried “Alternative Investments”. But, that does not access the Simply Natural group discussion.

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J. Keith Howie
Guest
J. Keith Howie
November 4, 2018 1:22 pm
Reply to  investor77

They don’t appear to be on Facebook. Google Simply Natural Investments or Simply Natural Harvest. There is lots of material available from a number of sources, including Simply Natural. Be careful to be sure the page you land on is in Panama. Simply Natural is a name used by a number of unrelated different organizations.

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Lizz
Guest
Lizz
April 22, 2019 2:54 pm
Reply to  J. Keith Howie

Hi Keith, some investors have joined here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agaltinvest/

The previous FB Group was shut down due to some ridiculous threats from SNI attorney.

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Ivan
Guest
Ivan
May 12, 2020 6:08 am

You do know the guy that runs /owns Simply Natural Brian D Agiuli spent between 1997 and 2000 working for Stratton Oakmont and it’s various guises. Stratton Oakmont went through a number of iterations and name changes H J Meyer etc and was fined numerous times and banned. 10 of it’s dealers were arrested and held in a West Chester jail at one point pending prosecution. It takes only entering his name in google search to find about 3 items down one of the cases brought against Brian personally by FINRA (see the second link below).

Who was Stratton Oakmont etc., run by — you guessed it Jordan Belfort or better known as the WOLF OF WALL STREET.

https://brokercheck.finra.org/individual/summary/1867364
https://www.finra.org/sites/default/files/NACDecision/p007143.pdf

joelossantos
Member
joelossantos
February 3, 2021 4:07 pm

Anyone else had a crop loss for 2020? joelossantos.com

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Sniksder
Guest
Sniksder
April 7, 2021 12:59 pm
Reply to  joelossantos

Yes, conveniently for somebody, our entire avocado crop died right during the supposed harvest. so the trees grew for 4 years then died from COVID. If it walks like a duck……

joelossantos
Member
joelossantos
August 11, 2021 9:25 am
Reply to  Sniksder

Its called Ponzi scheme.

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joelossantos
Member
joelossantos
August 11, 2021 9:28 am
Reply to  Sniksder

We have a attorney, join the fight. joelossantos at outlook.com

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Joe
Member
Joe
June 2, 2021 12:57 pm

50% of the mangos rotting on the ground or trees. a small amount being picked and shipped locally, not exported like the agreement. Probably no checks again this year. time to sell this bad investment joelossantos

joelossantos
Member
joelossantos
August 22, 2021 1:39 pm

What Alan Winsted did to all of us investors is criminal. To take our money under the pretense of selling organic fruit internationally and ending up with barren lots, dead trees, and letting the fruit rot. Selling just enough to cover their expenses and giving a few teaser checks was a insult to our good faith. The man is garbage and we are going to pursue seeking jail time for him and letting it be know what the family really stands for. Just another ponzi scheme.

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Pete
Guest
Pete
August 22, 2021 4:44 pm
Reply to  joelossantos

Bottom line “Never” trust anyone to manage your money by giving them permission to buy and sell stocks at will. Better spending the money on a Stockgumshoe subscription !

James Cain III
Guest
James Cain III
September 26, 2021 7:54 pm

I invested $19000 in 2014. Dismal return. Tey say my hectar is still not titled in my name. Want me to pay to title. Have paid them already. Every year they force you to sign a new management agreement ( Agvisors) taking more of the profits.
IT’S A SCAM!!

Joe Los Santos
Member
Joe Los Santos
December 22, 2021 6:59 am

Lawsuits are being prepared and will soon be filed against the Winsteads Simply Natural Ponzi Scam.

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Hugh Janus
Guest
Hugh Janus
December 22, 2021 1:55 pm
Reply to  Joe Los Santos

Is there a lawyer representing SNI investors for a class action suit?

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Hugh Janus
Guest
Hugh Janus
December 22, 2021 1:49 pm

I’m so glad legal action is being taken against the directors of Simply Natural. It’s been shared over the past years and in other Facebook groups that SNI is not what they promise. I feel bad for the investors who’ve lost hard earned money. There’s been so many red flags with this company. I don’t know why so many investors fell for their “story” “sales pitch”. As much as I wanted to invest in a seemingly good opportunity, things just didn’t add up when doing some due diligence. Investors really need to take caution and stop taking the bait from well polished sales scams. I’d beware of Live and Invest Overseas. They promote so many of these seemingly good “opportunities”. They are just marketing / capital raisers….they get paid no matter if the project does well or not. I don’t trust them anymore after wasting so much time with SNI and seeing so many people burnt.

Also, on another note, I’m glad all this conversation thread has been kept alive on Stockgumshoe as a warning for any potential investors in SNI or Live and Invest Overseas. I as well as several others I know have tried sharing our due diligence on SNI with other interested parties, to only receive Cease and Desist letters from SNI’s attorney’s with threats of lawsuit. They have spent lots off money to keep the truth from being exposed .

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O. D.
Guest
O. D.
December 22, 2021 6:36 pm

All written here about Simply Natural is CRAP from Dwayne….he himself told me he writes under different names and harasses Simply Natural the best he can…because having lost money in multiple OTHER investments he needs to get money he invested back.. Everyone knows Panamanian governemt has been harsher then most during CV19 allowing 2 hours for people to be out of their homes with men and women allowed out on DIFFERENT day ( how does that affect or defend from flue ? ) Enough already, Dwayne ! you are psychotic ! get a doctor ! and leave Simply Natural to do their job !! they will pull through….The Great Reset of Mr Schwab is directed at destruction of businesses…. they need their investors SUPPORT not sabotage, Dwayne !

Brian
Member
Brian
January 7, 2022 10:26 am
Reply to  O. D.

Amen! Dwayne Koval also posts on a Facebook forum under the name Sue Valenzuela. Neither “Sue” nor “Joe Los Santos” are Simply Natural owners. I know because I used to be a consultant for Simply Natural.

SN has had plenty of problems including Live and Invest Overseas salesmen making promises that couldn’t be kept. And, yes, they have been dealing with government roadblocks to getting timely development approvals followed by a Covid shutdown that left the fields totally unattended for nearly 2 months. And then they didn’t have enough labor to keep up with routine maintenance or to harvest the crops.

Panama hyped Covid as if it were the Black Plague. Farmworkers were scared to go to work and after the government started handing out food and didn’t require that their utilities be paid, they had no reason to go to work. They sat at home and hoped to ride this thing out.

No one denies that the last couple of years have been a disaster. Now it’s time to figure out a way to make our investments work.

I have 5 hectares of crops with SN. I have evaluated my realistic options and made a decision regarding which hectares I will exchange for the dragon fruit greenhouse. I have done extensive research on Primeflor, the company that asked SN to grow the dragon fruit. Primeflor has over 6,000 hectares of greenhouses in Europe (primarily Spain) and will be purchasing 100% of the crop, provide technical advisors on the ground in Panama for 18 months and assist with setting up the greenhouses.

I spent several days on the SN plantations last year and I have had lengthy conversations with Paulette and others who are working to get Simply Natural turned around and I’m encouraged. No, I am not getting the kind of return I was promised and I’m not happy about the delays, but I believe the long-term outlook for SN is positive. So, Dwayne, I could join you in endless lawsuits that will drag on for years and guarantee I never see a penny, or I can move forward and make the best of a bad situation.

For those of you who may be reading this response to “Joe” – if you’re a Simply Natural owner, if you’re interested in what I have learned and want to discuss your options, please message me and I will be happy to set up a call. As a former consultant to SN I think I have a unique perspective along with some insider information that may be able to help you decide how to proceed.

Bitching, belly-aching, exaggerating the facts, libeling Live and Invest Overseas and Alan Winstead and creating phony personas to avoid responsibility for your accusations won’t solve anything.

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Joan Surdukowski
Guest
Joan Surdukowski
January 7, 2022 12:02 pm
Reply to  Brian

Hi Brain,
I own 4 hectares of lime, avocado, mango and dragon fruit and 1 greenhouse with SNF.
I bought them in 10/19, so no trees have been planted yet.
I am thinking of changing the dragon fruit and avocado hectares to greenhouses.
I don’t know if it is worth keeping the lime and mango hectares or if I should exchange them for greenhouses. I won’t get a harvest until 2026 after they replant.
The greenhouses are all computerized and can be run by minimal staff and from a phone.
Panama is in a COVID lockdown again.
I found out because I invested in 2019, I can get residency and path to citizenship by spending $100,000 on reforestation purchases (trees).
I would love to get your opinion on this.
I think this company will turn around. It will just take time.
Joan

Kit L.
Member
Kit L.
January 23, 2022 12:58 pm
Reply to  Brian

Yes I would love to talk to you from your perspective. I trusted them up until now and simple want the truth. A serious red flag is I still do not have a title in hand and it’s been since 2016 so you tell me??

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Brian
Member
Brian
March 5, 2022 3:24 pm
Reply to  Kit L.

Sorry I missed your comment when you posted it. Please email me and I’ll set up a time for a Zoom call.

brian@alternativeaginvestors.com

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Chad Statham
Guest
March 4, 2022 7:34 pm
Reply to  Brian

Yes, let’s talk.

Brian
Member
Brian
March 5, 2022 3:20 pm
Reply to  Chad Statham

Chad… please email me and I’ll set up a time for a Zoom call. I look forward to speaking with you.

brian@alternativeaginvestors.com

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Bob Faske
Guest
Bob Faske
May 7, 2023 5:20 pm
Reply to  Brian

Cheers Brian…I am “owner” of 2 mango parcels. Sent (initial) $ 2K last year to SNI to cover “100%” fire damage. Looks like the whole management and communication teams have bailed out. Was in Panama City March 2023 and still have no response from my request for a visit; the SNI attorneys at Oceana Plaza had no luck getting a response for me either.
Looking for any recent info you can provide, or to join in any group pursuit of a solution.
Thanks and regards
Bob Faske bobsellspbc@gmail.com

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Joan Surdukowski
Guest
Joan Surdukowski
January 5, 2022 3:16 pm

Hi,
I have bought 3 hectares with Simply Natural in 2019 and a couple of greenhouses in 2021.
I have been told by Live and Invest Overseas that I will not get a harvest until 2024/2025 on the hectares.

Simply Natural has said that their avocado plantation called San Francisco in Panama has had major damage from weeds that grew when they could not care for the plants for 6 months during covid.

Now there is a deal on the table until Jan 15, 2022 to exchange your fruit hectares for a lyme hectare or a greenhouse that will probably grow dragon fruit. Lime trees seem to be hardier.
The income form the greenhouse is less than the fruit hectares.

I wanted to see what other people thought about this deal.
I would love to hear from someone who actually got an income from Simply Natural.
I have been following all the comments and they were very insightful.
Thanks,
Joan

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Andy
Member
Andy
January 6, 2022 2:32 pm

Hi Joan, I’ve asked SNI the same question as returns from Greenhouse are <1/2 of what I signed up for with the Avocado lot. No response yet…..the clock is ticking

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Andy
Member
Andy
January 9, 2022 11:29 am
Reply to  Andy

Update: I did get a response and details are a lot clearer.
I’m going to swap my Avocado for Greenhouse as I already have Limes and want some diversification.

Brian
Member
Brian
January 11, 2022 3:29 pm
Reply to  Andy

Andy… what were the main reasons you decided to swap your Avo hectare for the dragon fruit greenhouse vs. planting lime trees?

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Andy
Member
Andy
January 16, 2022 3:32 pm
Reply to  Brian

Simple; I already have Limes and wanted to diversify

Mark
Guest
Mark
August 30, 2023 4:25 pm
Reply to  Andy

How did that work out for you? Probably same as all the others

Mark Rafter
Guest
Mark Rafter
January 6, 2022 8:28 pm

Joan,

Why is live and invest overseas involved at this point? Are you not talking to Simply Natural directly? LAIO is just for lead generation, they shouldnt be involved in operations.

Do you already have titles to your land? That might make a difference in your decision. Probably have to pay more money to Panama to reverse that to cash and a different investment.

Not sure about the market for dragonfruit.

Mark

O. D.
Guest
O. D.
January 6, 2022 7:43 pm

Andy… there was a zoom re avocado and they have sent estimates of income for greenhouses which is a bit lower then it originally was when we bought the land…. what bothers me is that with the purchase of the greenhouses one has to give up the land and return ownehrship to SN …. what do u guys think ? aside from Dawyne… he has only one word…. THANK YOU Joan… re pointing out 15 Jan date….. the lawyer… ELka…??? busy ? emailed her a number of times ZERO resp0nse

Brian
Member
Brian
January 11, 2022 3:39 pm
Reply to  O. D.

O.D. — I don’t think Elka is customer-facing. I know; that’s no excuse for not responding. Try emailing Paulette De Janon (pdejanon@simplynaturalfarms.com) since she is now the head of client relations.

Paulette is also having individual conversations with farm owners to up0date them on the status of their hectares so they can make an informed decision about the exchange.

I agree that it’s not an apples-to-apples swap since the dragon fruit project is a lease and you don’t own the land. That said, we each just have to decide what is best for our specific circumstances.

I ended up keeping the limes and mangos that I bought in 2015 because they are in good shape (I saw them last May and was quite pleased with their health). I am exchanging my other mango and avo that I bought in 2017 for the dragon fruit.

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O. D.
Guest
O. D.
January 12, 2022 8:11 am
Reply to  Brian

Thank you Brian…. yes i now have spoken to Paulette…. and decided to go w limes…. i only have a couple of hectares …so new trees will have to be planted instead of avocadoes… they will recover… and do well again. i am sure. 🙂

Andy
Member
Andy
January 16, 2022 3:34 pm
Reply to  O. D.

Yep, you do give up titles land. But I figured better to have a chance of income than owning land that was doing nothing. Plus I do have Limes (and the land that goes with them)

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Joan Surdukowski
Guest
Joan Surdukowski
January 7, 2022 6:27 am

Andy, OD, Mark
LIOS can help facilitate reaching SNF. SNF seems to respond to their emails. Supposedly I am talking to SNF today at 10 AM. I have yet to receive a zoom link.
I don’t have title yet. That seems to take 12 – 24 months.
I think there is a market for dragon fruit in Asia.
You can keep your hectares but I think the trees have to be replanted and the income then delayed. They seem to be pushing the lime trees that are resistant to disease.
If you need income sooner, the greenhouses would be better. Probably safer too, with less pests and weather events.
I wonder if planting the avocado trees in the clay like soil was a mistake/ Did they do soil samples?
Do you know if we can get Panama citizenship through these land purchases?
Thanks for the comments,
Joan

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perry allen
Member
perry allen
August 17, 2022 6:54 pm

Has anyone had success getting tittles or returns on mango hectares

Shellie
Guest
Shellie
September 20, 2022 11:12 am

I am desperate for information from Simply Natural. I do have title to my one hectare purchased in 2017 for avocado plantings. Although better communication with the company has been promised on numerous occasions, that is not the case. Has anyone had recent communication with them?

Brian
Member
Brian
September 20, 2022 12:34 pm
Reply to  Shellie

Shellie… thanks for reaching out via email. I look forward to our call.

I try to stay on top of things at Simply Natural and would be happy to share what info I have if anybody else is interested. I can be reached at: brian@alternativeaginvestors.com

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pedro santos
Member
pedro santos
February 16, 2023 8:46 pm
Reply to  Brian

Hi Brian, I am an investor in SNI as like you (2015 mango) and would really like to compare notes as I feel really kept in the dark.
Can I email you at the above address?

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Brian
Member
Brian
February 17, 2023 11:02 am
Reply to  pedro santos

Absolutely. Send me an email and we can set up some time for a call.

I was in Panama in December and I’m going back in a few weeks because I represent a few agribusiness companies that are located there.

I’m hoping to go out to the Simply Natural farms on March 8th and hope to have a meeting with Frederico, the new farm manager, and other members of the management team. I’ll be sure to post an update here.

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Erich
Erich
March 26, 2023 2:22 pm
Reply to  Brian

Hi Brian, do you have an update to share from your March 8 visit? I invested in a greenhouse in 2020. Was told by Paulette (who no longer seems to be there) that I would get my first payment in Q1 2023 but nothing yet. Thanks in advance!

Last edited 1 year ago by erichrex
BillyWood
Member
BillyWood
March 26, 2023 4:20 pm
Reply to  Erich

Good luck with that, I invested with them 8 years ago and have yet to receive a payment. As a matter of fact, I received a five-figure bill from them a couple of months ago for maintenance fees because the farm can’t even bring in enough to cover crop care.

Brian
Member
Brian
March 27, 2023 11:20 am
Reply to  Erich

I’m afraid I wasn’t able to get out to the SN farms while I was there. I asked Paulette about when statements would be sent out and she said they were prepared, but she had already exited the company and didn’t have the authority to send them out.

Since Brian Anguili hasn’t seen fit to make kind of announcement regarding the change in management, I suggest reaching out to Elka Segrera: esegrera@360cgroup.com

Elka is Simply Natural’s primary attorney and was/is deeply involved in the titling process. My understanding is that she has assumed additional responsibility in the new SN corporate structure and may have information regarding when the harvest statements are being sent out.

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Brian
Member
Brian
March 27, 2023 12:51 pm
Reply to  Erich

Erich…

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get to the SN farms during my recent trip. I did, however, have dinner with Alan and Paulette and asked Paulette about the status of the harvest statements.

Paulette told me that the statements were all prepared but since she had exited the company she didn’t have the authority to get them sent out.

In the absence of communication from Brian Angiuli and the new management team, I would reach out to Elka Segrera: esegrera@360cgroup.com

Elka has been the primary attorney for SN and my understanding is that she will be taking on more responsibility in the new management team.

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Brian
Member
Brian
March 27, 2023 10:53 am

I’m sure many of you on this forum have concerns about Alan Winstead and Paulette de Janon leaving Simply Natural. I’m right there with you… this is not a good development!

I was in Panama two weeks ago looking at coffee and cacao farms and I had dinner on Thursday night with Alan and Paulette. I don’t know that I can shed much light on the situation but I’ll give you my perspective based on that conversation and others I’ve had over the last year.

In my opinion, the change in management from Alan to Brian Angiuli is a case of good news, bad news.

The bad news, of course, is that Alan’s years of hands-on agricultural experience are being lost. That big-picture perspective of the farm operation will be hard to replace. The additional bad news is that Brian, as best as I can tell, has been MIA for the last three years.

I think Alan has done a tremendous job of setting the company on a solid path of recovery from the endless list of problems created by the draconian Covid lockdowns in Panama. Alan has also been responsible for hiring an excellent farm staff, especially farm manager Frederico Herrera.

I last spoke to Brian in March of 2020; the same day the offices were closed and all the administrative staff started working from home due to the pandemic. The fact that we haven’t heard a word from Brian or his team since Alan’s announcement is troublesome, to say the least.

I had hoped to hear from Brian or someone on his team announcing something to the effect that there are no big changes planned, we’re going to continue developing the company, here’s your new client relations director, etc., etc. Instead, we’ve had crickets.

The good news is that Brian is bringing new investors that will add additional liquidity to the company. When I was talking to Alan a couple of weeks ago, I asked him point blank, “Is Simply Natural well capitalized?” Alan responded by saying yes, it is, but it could be better.

Bear in mind that this is after all the financial difficulties that Covid threw at the company. Alan dealt with serious challenges including labor shortages, transportation issues and, in the beginning, the inability to get farm workers out to the fields to deal with drainage, pruning, keeping the weeds cut back and harvesting.

Nonetheless, having an added injection of capital is a real positive. Remember, Simply Natural is a whole lot more than the hectares or greenhouse naves we own. The company owns large tracts of land, greenhouses, a processing plant in Peru, a cold storage facility in Rotterdam and lots of other ag investments. The success of Simply Natural is critical to our success.

The additional good news is what I mentioned above; that Alan put together an excellent farm team that will continue on with the current projects and who are well positioned to execute on new projects.

In addition to Frederico, irrigation manager Jesus de Lima is still on the job. He managed the installation of all the existing irrigation systems including the $10 million water pumping and filtration plant that was completed in 2021. Jesus will build a new system for the dragon fruit greenhouses, and supplies have already been staged at the San Francisco plantation to implement a pumping/filtration complex similar to that installed at Los Olivos.

Michael (I don’t know his last name), considered to be one of the premier grafters in Panama, will continue doing the grafting of the new lime hectares as well as splitting the dragon fruit genetic stock to get it ready for planting this summer. There are many others on the farm management team that are experts in their particular farm specialty and they are the ones who actually handle the day-to-day farming operations.

I guess the bottom line is this: I’m not happy about the changes but Brian is at least very familiar with the workings of the company and has been handed a very talented team of professionals who can make Simply Natural a successful agribusiness and bring the company to profitability. Now the question is whether he can continue moving the company forward.

In my opinion, he needs to get the 2002 harvest statements out ASAP and he needs to put out an annual report just like every other major managed farmland company does.

Until we hear from Brian though, I think it’s too early to tell if this is ultimately a disaster or a blessing in disguise.

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Mark Rafter
Guest
Mark Rafter
March 27, 2023 12:03 pm
Reply to  Brian

Brian – thank you for the insights. One thing missing that I’d expect you’d have some insight into (having met with Alan and Paulette) is: why did they leave? Forced out or quit?

I have sent multiple emails to the 3 individuals Paulette identified in her farewell email, including Brian- no response. Any insight into who Elka and Cesar are and what is the role of 360cgroup (the domain name in their emails)?

Like Erich, I too was told by Paulette that Q1 2023 would finally result in a payout. Total lack of communication does not instill any kind of reassurance that this is a legitimate business. I’d love to be proven wrong and will give them the benefit of the doubt while they get their ducks in a row.

Brian
Member
Brian
March 30, 2023 5:07 pm
Reply to  Mark Rafter

Mark… yeah I had hoped to find out more about the “why” of their departure but they were both very tight-lipped.

Elka was/is Simply Natural’s primary attorney and 360 Consulting Group handles most of the titling work.

Paulette told me that the harvest statements had been completed but she no longer had the authority to send them out, so we’re waiting on Brian and company.

I was reviewing some contracts for one of my clients and noticed that §4 of the Farm Management Agreement states, “The SERVICE PROVIDER shall provide to the CLIENT, on a annual basis, information regarding all aspects related to the management maintenance and harvest to be conducted on the Land, including the providing of all documents related to the execution of this agreement, such as the updated situation of the Farm, sold products, sale documents, receipts, agreements, and any and all documents or information regarding this agreement.”

That was from a contract executed in 2014, but later versions also included a somewhat watered-down version of that language. The point being that Simply Natural should be giving us a comprehensive annual report, not just our harvest statement. If they had been doing that all along I think many of us would be much happier with their communications.

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pedro santos
Member
pedro santos
April 1, 2023 10:50 pm
Reply to  Brian

Thanks for pointin g that out, Brian.
My 2014 contract does indeed include that language, but not the 2019 version.
Of course, I did not pay any attention at the time…

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Mark Rafter
Guest
Mark Rafter
April 11, 2023 12:18 am

Has anyone heard anything at all from the new management at Simply Natural?

pedro santos
Member
pedro santos
April 17, 2023 4:47 am
Reply to  Mark Rafter

Nope…

Probably a good idea if we investors start getting together to see what can be done

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Erich
Erich
May 12, 2023 8:01 pm
Reply to  Mark Rafter

Here is a recent update from Lief Simon that I received from a sales manager at Live & Invest Overseas:

Dear Fellow Simply Natural Owner,

I realize you have been trying to get information about what’s going on at Simply Natural since Alan and Paulette sent their resignation announcements in March. So have we.

We’ve had our attorney research the public registry to find out more about the status of companies related to Simply Natural including current officers and directors. We’ve sent people to the farms to inspect. And we’ve had conversations with Brian Angiuli. At this point, here’s what we can say…

Alan has resigned formally as President of Bio Tecnologia Mundial. We’ve been told that Bio Tecnologia Mundial is the main operating company for the Simply Natural Farms.

We’ve found as many as 31 total companies related to Simply Natural and their various operations. We don’t know which does what. Some appear to have been set up for specific land purchases, which is common in Panama. Others seem to have been set up for specific operations, such as owning and running the heavy equipment for the farms. Our attorney continues to sift through the directors and officers of the other entities. Again, Bio Tecnologia Mundial seems to be the primary.

Alan did not resign his Director position with Bio Tecnologia Mundial by the most recent date our attorney checked the registry in April.

I can tell you that the President of a corporation in Panama is the legal representative. The President is legally responsible for the actions of the company.

The share ownership of private companies in Panama isn’t public record so our attorneys have no way to find out who holds shares or who holds a majority of shares.

Our attorney has also found that the registered agent for most or all Simply Natural companies resigned a few weeks after Alan resigned. The registered agent is the group responsible for receiving public or government notices for the company. The group that resigned as registered agent is 360 Consultants. This is the group people are being told is in charge of Simply Natural. A registered agent isn’t in charge of anything for a Panamanian company. In any case, 360 Consultants resigned after Alan resigned as President because he left no one in charge.

A corporation in Panama must have a president registered in the public register and it must have a registered agent. Without one or both of these, the corporation can be stricken from the public record and dissolved by the government. We’ve not been able to determine if a new president has been registered yet for Bio Tecnologia Mundial, but the deadline is 90 days from when the president resigns.

That’s the public side of what’s going on. The bottom line is that no one seems to be legally in charge of Simply Natural Farms right now. It also appears that no one is running the company. Alan walked away telling people Brian Angiuli pushed him out and that Brian Angiuli took over. That’s not the case according to any public records.

Meanwhile, Brian has been in contact with us to say he’s working on pulling things together for Simply Natural so that the company can continue to operate.

Brian had been removed as an advisor and from any direct role in Simply Natural more than two years ago. At that point Alan was completely running things. Due to his absence from any management role, Brian has had to try to figure out what’s going on with each piece of the company, from employees to farms to equipment. This hasn’t been a quick or an easy process, which is why he’s not communicated with individual owners directly.

Brian believes that the company can be turned around with new management and new shareholders. We won’t know any details until he’s able to finalize the things he’s working on.

I realize this update may bring up more questions than answers, but I wanted to make the effort of being in touch. This is what I know at this point.

Brian is hoping that he can have everything in place to be able to update owners soon.

Lief Simon

Fellow Simply Natural Farm Mango And Lime Owner

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Perry Allen
Member
Perry Allen
July 4, 2023 6:21 pm
Reply to  Erich

Please keep me updated. I bought in 2016 and no title

Kaz.
Guest
Kaz.
April 16, 2023 12:34 pm

I think that at this point we can keep dreaming that something would happened. Sometime ago about 1-2 years I was told from whom may have called him a pundit that Alan was preparing to cash in as much as he could from SN and bail himself out. Not sure if thru but purchasing a yacht and other expensive thing to enjoy in the Caribbean and elsewhere, hearsay/speculation ? Not sure, But the fact that he just quit and/or resigned or run away it is simply to me an indication that whom accused him to be a scam indeed he might be correct and unless I will be proven wrong in the back of my mind is still that suspicion until I will be proven wrong. Surely they put a lot of blame on the Covid but is hard to believe that really little has happened in regard to many investors and promises made and all they come up with is a disaster after an other that comes with lots of excuses and justifications. I reach out about a month ago to Brian , Cesar and Elka and have only heard back from Elka stating that Paulette asked her to get back to me, but in effect she was replying to my message, and then on my next reply she told me that she will be reaching SN to see whom contact would be responding to my concerns. It makes very clear to me through the 6-7 yrs or so of promises never maintained, titling never delivered blaming the Panamanian burocracy, covid etc, never saw a dime and just have heard horrific stories, from them and from some other investors that never got a dime back in their investments. SO I Can Say that I could continue on DREAMING that this company and their successors would be transparent and provide a much clear pictures on where I stand with my investment as well of all of you and others here. The fact that Alan and Paulette were not able to be clear to Brian why they left is troublesome and the pattern that someone have accused Alan seems continues in its term and slowly vanish in the abyss. Of course even trying to sue anyone it would be very complicate and costly as the Panamanian Structure is lengthy and most likely you be throwing Good Money after Bad Money, something that Alan knew all along before, if true, of running this gigantic scheme to enrich himself. For the time being I can just hope and dream as I have been doing in the past several years that something would happen in good terms, but for now is only a dream.

Surar
Guest
Surar
May 13, 2023 9:13 pm

Agriculture in general is not a profitable business. It is a life style for many people and they make very little for their work. Expecting huge returns from an absentee farm investment is not a realistic expectation.

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Andy_tayler
Member
Andy_tayler
July 7, 2023 5:43 am

As one of the many simply natural investors to be left with a lot of questions and not much hope with the series of events/excuses over the years, I would appreciate it if I could be added to any group action.

Thanks.

pedro santos
Member
pedro santos
August 30, 2023 3:48 pm
Reply to  Andy_tayler

Same here.
Now that they have abandoned any pretense of a legit agricultural operation, it’s time we do something, if not already too late.

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Graham
Guest
Graham
September 6, 2023 7:07 pm

Recently approached by David Clark to lease lime and mango plots ($1,500 each per year), with option to purchase ($15,000-20,000 per plot)in a couple of years. Anyone else been approached? Any updates on what is happening this year? They have gone silent for us.

Bill
Member
Bill
September 27, 2023 2:27 pm
Reply to  Graham

I was approached but not at those prices, mango plots $1,200 per year and then $6,000 per HA.

There’s a FB group where owners chat. https://www.facebook.com/groups/farmowner

Brian
Member
Brian
September 27, 2023 4:20 pm
Reply to  Bill

For those interested in legal action, an attorney in Panama has agreed to take on the cases of SN investors. Check out the details in the FB group that Bill noted above.

👍 4
pedro santos
Member
pedro santos
September 27, 2023 3:31 pm
Reply to  Graham

I heard nothing. Who is David Clark?

👍 2
Andy
Member
Andy
September 28, 2023 1:53 pm
Reply to  Graham

I have had similar but for Limes. Terms not as generous as you outline above.

Bill
Member
Bill
September 28, 2023 2:26 pm
Reply to  Andy

Andy, just curious what were the terms you were offered, I would have thought it would have been better for limes since that’s what David currently farms.

Andy
Member
Andy
September 29, 2023 1:41 am
Reply to  Bill

I have 2 lots. $1000 rent for 2 years then $10k purchase. This is total.

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