Families and individuals
Many families own the land beneath a tower or antenna site.
The transaction
Here is what changes, and what does not.
- What you sell
- In most transactions you sell the lease and the income it produces, and you grant us an easement over the lease area. The easement is what allows us to continue granting the tenant its rights under the lease, and it covers only the ground the equipment occupies and the access to it. The house, the pasture, and the rest of the land are outside the transaction.
- What you keep
- In most transactions you continue to own the land, and nothing changes on the ground. The tower or the equipment stays where it is, and the tenant keeps operating under the same agreement it has today.
- How you are paid
- You are paid in immediately available funds at closing. Where it suits your estate or tax planning, the proceeds can instead be structured as a series of payments.
Why owners sell
Owners sell for reasons of their own. These are the most common.
Planning an estate
A single payment is simpler to divide among heirs than a lease that runs for decades, and it removes the question of who manages the lease later.
A purpose for the money now
Paying down debt, improving the property, or funding something the family has put off are common reasons owners prefer one payment to rent over time.
Selling the land
Owners who intend to sell the land itself sometimes sell the lease interest first, so the land can be sold without a tenant relationship attached.
If you have heard from us
If we have written to you, here is how to confirm it.
Our emails come only from addresses ending in @methodinfra.com. You can write to hello [at] methodinfra [dot] com and we will confirm whether a letter came from us.
Will this affect the taxes on my land?
A sale is taxed differently from rental income, and the difference depends on your situation, so we encourage every owner to speak with a tax advisor before accepting an offer. We are glad to provide whatever documents your advisor asks for, and the proceeds can be structured as a series of payments where that helps.
The lease is in my late parent’s name. Can we still sell?
Usually, yes. We will need to see how ownership passed, which is normally through the estate or a deed, and we will help you work out which documents are needed.
Do we have to sell the land?
No. Most of our transactions are for the lease and an easement, and the land stays in your name.
What if the tower comes down one day?
The purchase is a sale rather than a loan, so we have no claim against you if the rent later falls or the tenant leaves. If the tenant were ever to remove the tower, you would keep the full purchase price and would owe us nothing.
