exv10w12



 







EXHIBIT
10.12




REAL ESTATE OPTION AGREEMENT




          THIS
REAL ESTATE OPTION AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) is made this
29th day
of August, 2005, by and between Hankinson Community Development Corporation, Incorporated, a
corporation (hereinafter referred to as “Optionor”) and Gold Energy, LLC, a Minnesota limited
liability company (hereinafter referred to as “Optionee”).




          WITNESSETH:




          WHEREAS, Optionor is the owner of real estate described below and desires to exchange cash
said real property under defined terms; and Optionee desires to acquire said Property from Optionor
in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth hereafter.




          NOW THEREFORE, IN CONSIDERATION of the covenants and promises contained hereafter, it is
agreed:




          PREMISES Optionor hereby grants to Optionee the exclusive option to purchase real
estate located in Richland County, North Dakota, (the “Property”) more specifically described as
follows:





	 	 	That part of the Southwest Quarter (SW 1/4) of Section Eighteen (18), Township One
Hundred Thirty (130) North, Range Forty-nine (49) West of the Fifth Principal Meridian
which lies north of the railroad right of way, which tract consists of roughly 80
acres, more or less.





     CONSIDERATION The price (the “Purchase Price”) for the Property shall be $160,000.00,
payable by Optionee as herein provided. As consideration for the option, Optionee agrees to pay to
Optionor at the time of the execution of this Agreement the sum of $2,500.00 (the “Option
Consideration”) with said payment to be credited to the Purchase Price at closing. The remaining
balance of the Purchase Price ($157,500.00) shall be paid in cash and at closing.



     TERM This Agreement shall commence on the date of the execution of this Agreement
and continue to the 29th day of August, 2006 at 5:00 o’clock P.M. Optionee shall have
the right to extend this option for an additional six (6) months upon payment to Optionor of the
sum of $1,250.00, which shall become a part of the Option Consideration. If not exercised timely,
this Agreement shall expire automatically and be null and void and the Option Consideration shall
be forfeited to the Optionor. If extended, the additional $1,250.00 shall be credited against the
Purchase Price at closing.



 









 





     NOTICE OF EXERCISE OF OPTION Optionee shall at any time during the option term notify
Optionor by registered mail, Federal Express delivery or hand delivery of its written demand that
Optionee intends to complete the purchase of the Property. The conveyance and closing for the
Property defined above shall thereupon be completed within 90 days thereafter in accordance with
the terms and conditions set forth hereafter.



     TERMS In the event this Option is exercised, Optionor agrees to sell and Optionee
agrees to purchase the Property, with improvements thereon, if any, under the following terms and
conditions:




	 	1.	 	Right to Enter Property and Due Diligence. Optionor agrees that Optionee
and/or third-parties directed by Optionee, shall have the right to enter upon the Property
at any time from the date of this agreement until closing in order to conduct due
diligence investigations upon the Property by giving Optionor one (1) day advanced written
or verbal notice. Any due diligence costs and work performed, including, but not limited
to, surveys and environmental studies conducted, shall be at the sole cost of the
Optionee.
	 
	 	2.	 	Crop Damage. In the event that Optionee’s due diligence and/or conveyance of
the Property to Optionee shall occur after Optionor, or its tenants and/or agents, plants
crops, but before harvest of those crops, the parties hereto mutually agree that Optionor
shall have the right, upon notice to the Optionee and at the Optionee’s convenience, to
harvest any crops not destroyed by the Optionee in the process of its due diligence and/or
its construction of an ethanol plant and related improvements thereto. The Optionee shall
have no duty to preserve any of such crops, and the Optionor accepts as liquidated damages
(in lieu of any and all other damages) an amount equal to the most recent Richland County
USDA proven yield for the commodity planted on the Property in the year of damage
multiplied by the Richland County USDA four year average price for the commodity grown in
the year of damage, multiplied by the number of acres, or fractional acres, of crop
destroyed on the Property. If the parties cannot mutually agree upon the number of crop
acres damaged, the number of such cop acres damaged shall be measured by an independent
third-party as the parties hereto may mutually identify.
	 
	 	3.	 	Termination Of Tenants. Regardless of when or if Optionee provides notice of
the exercise of its option provided hereunder, in the event this option is exercised,
Optionor agrees to provide timely notice to any tenant of the Property of the termination
of such tenant’s tenancy. Such notice shall follow the form required for the termination
of farm tenancies under the applicable lease terms involved and/or North Dakota Law.




 









 













	 	4.	 	Title Examination. No later than 20 days from delivery of notice of exercise
of the option granted hereby, the Optionor shall furnish the Optionee a duly certified
Abstract of Title to the Property, continued to a recent date, showing good and marketable
title in the Optionor, free and clear of all liens and encumbrances, except as noted
below. The Optionee shall have 15 days time to examine said abstract of title and within
said period of time shall promptly notify the Optionor of all objections thereto in
writing. If the title to the Property is unmarketable, the Optionor shall have a period
of 90 days in which to correct the title and make it marketable. If the title to the
Property cannot be made marketable within said period of time or such further time as may
be granted by the Optionee, the Optionee shall be entitled to the return of the Option
Consideration paid under this Agreement, but otherwise this Agreement shall be wholly
null, void and unenforceable.
	 
	 	5.	 	Title, Liens and Encumbrances. At closing, Optionor shall transfer title to
Optionee by a Warranty Deed conveying good and marketable title to the Optionee. The sale
and transfer by Warranty Deed shall be free of all liens and encumbrances except for the
following:






	 	A.	 	Building and zoning laws, ordinances, sate and federal regulations, provided
they do not materially and adversely affect the use of the property;
	 
	 	B.	 	Utility, drainage and other easements of record which do not materially and
adversely interfere with the use of the Property.






	 	6.	 	Taxes and Special Assessments. The Optionor agrees to pay all real estate
taxes and assessments for special improvements levied or assessed for the year prior to
closing. Real estate taxes, and assessments for special improvements for the year of
closing shall be prorated between the Optionor and the Optionee and in the event the exact
amount of the taxes and assessments for that year are not yet known, the amount to be
prorated shall be based on the real estate taxes and assessments for special improvements
for the previous year. Optionee agrees to pay the real estate taxes and assessments for
special improvements for all subsequent years.
	 
	 	7.	 	Closing and Possession. Possession is to be given immediately upon
completion of closing. Closing shall occur after approval of title and PRIOR TO
POSSESSION, but in no event later than 90 days from the date of the notice of exercise of
the option, or as otherwise agreed upon by the parties.




 









 














	 	8.	 	Default. In the event either party has fulfilled all of its obligations
hereunder and all conditions precedent and concurrent to closing for which it is
responsible and the other party fails to fulfill its obligations hereunder and continues
to fail and refuses to fulfill its obligations hereunder for more than 30 days after
receipt of written notice of such default from the non-defaulting party, the
non-defaulting party may either: in the case of the Optionee 1) terminate this Agreement, in which event it shall be
entitled to retain of the Option Consideration and any other monies
paid hereunder to Optionor, and
such termination and Option Consideration shall be the sole remedy and damages available;
or 2) pursue any legal and/or equitable remedy available to it; or in the case of the
Optionor 1) terminate this Agreement, in which event it shall be
entitled to retain the
Option Consideration and any other monies paid hereunder by Optoinee to Optionor, and such
termination and retainage shall be the sole remedy and damages available to the Optionee,
or 2) pursue any legal and/or equitable remedy available to it.
	 
	 	9.	 	Disclaimer — the Property is sold AS IS. Except for warranty of title,
Optionor will give no warranty and will make no representations to Optionee of any kind.
THERE ARE NO EXPRESS WARRANTIES AND OPTIONOR SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS
OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF HABITABILITY, IMPLIED WARRANTIES, IMPLIED WARRANTY OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD AS IS, WITHOUT
WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, WITH ALL FAULTS AND IN ITS PRESENT CONDITION. THE PROPERTY WILL
ALSO BE SOLD WHERE IS AND NO WARRNATY OR REPENSTATIONS WITH RESPECT TO BOUDNARY LINES WILL
BE MADE BY OPTIONOR. Optionee must satisfy Optionee that the Property is entirely within
boundary lines expected. Optionee represents to the Optionor that Optionee takes the
Property in its present condition with all its faults. Optionee has been or will be
provided full and complete access to the Property and the full right to examine and test
the same. Optionee is relying solely upon such access, investigation and Optionee’s
testing and is not relying upon any representation or warranty of Optionor.





          SURVIVAL All of the terms, representations, warranties and disclaimers contained in
this Agreement are continuing and shall survive the closing.




 









 









          RECORDING OF OPTION The parties hereto agree that this Option Agreement may be
recorded with the Richland County Recorder’s office.




          NOTICES Any notice, demand or other document which either party is required or may
desire to give or deliver to or make upon the other party shall be given in writing and served
either personally or given by prepaid United States certified mail, return receipt requested, and
addressed to the following addresses:




	 	 	 	 	 	 	 
	 

	 	If to Optionor:
	 	Hankinson Community Development Corporation
	 	 
	 

	 	 	 	          Incorporated	 	 
	 

	 	 	 	c/o Robert Wurl	 	 
	 

	 	 	 	Lincoln State Bank	 	 
	 

	 	 	 	302 Main Ave. S.	 	 
	 

	 	 	 	Hankinson, ND 58041	 	 
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 
	 

	 	 	 	With a copy to:	 	 
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 
	 

	 	 	 	Fred Strege	 	 
	 

	 	 	 	Smith, Stregge & Fredricksen, Ltd.	 	 
	 

	 	 	 	Box 38	 	 
	 

	 	 	 	Wahpeton, ND 58074	 	 
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 
	 

	 	If to Optionee:
	 	Gold Energy, LLC	 	 
	 

	 	 	 	c/o Michelle Swenson	 	 
	 

	 	 	 	1183 6th Street South	 	 
	 

	 	 	 	Wahpeton, ND 58075	 	 






          1031 EXCHANGE: If requested by Optionor, Optionee will cooperate with the Optionor in
conducting a §1031 like-kind exchange, the cost of which will be paid by the Optionor.




          TIME: Time is of the essence as to the performance of all of the terms and conditions
of this Agreement.




 









 










          IN WITNESS WHEREOF, said parties hereto subscribe their names.




	 	 	 
	OPTIONOR:

	 	OPTIONEE:
	 
	 	 
	HANKINSON COMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

INCORPORATED

	 	GOLD ENERGY, LLC






	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 
	By:

	 	     /s/ David Paulson
	 	 	 	 	 	By:
	 	     /s/ Daniel O. Skolness
	 

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 
	 	 	David Paulson, President	 	 	 	 	 	Its [Handwritten: Vice President]
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 
	STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA	 	 	)	 	 	 	 	 
	 

	 	 	 	 	)SS:
	 	 	 	 	 
	COUNTY OF RICHLAND	 	 	)	 	 	 	 	 






          On
this 7th day of    October   , 2005, before me personally appeared
David Paulson, known to me to be the President of Hankinson Development Corporation, Incorporated,
a North Dakota corporation, the corporation that is described in and that executed the within and
foregoing document, and acknowledged to me that he executed the same on behalf of said corporation.




	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 
	 

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	          /s/ Lori J. Hubrig
	 

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 
	 


	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	          Notary Public
	 

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	My Commission Expires: 7-12-06
	 
	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 
	 

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	[Stamped: LORI J. HUBRIG
	 

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	          Notary Public
	 

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	          State of North Dakota
	 

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	My Commission Expires Aug. 29, 2010
	STATE OF

	 	 	)	 	 	 	 	 
	 

	 	      ) SS:
	 	 	 	 
	COUNTY OF

	 	 	)	 	 	 	 	 






          On
this 5th day of      October      , 2005, before me personally appeared
 Daniel O. Skolness      known to me to be the      Vice President  of Gold
Energy, LLC, a Minnesota limited liability
company, the limited liability company.




 









 








that said described in and that executed the within and foregoing document, and acknowledged to me
that he executed the same on behalf of said limited liability company.




	 	 	 
	 

	 	/s/ Fred Strege
	 

	 	 
	 

	 	Notary Public
	 

	 	My Commission Expires:
	 
	 	 
	 

	 	[Stamped: Fred Strege
	 

	 	                Notary Public
	 

	 	          State of North Dakota
	 

	 	My Commission Expires Sept. 30, 2007