Manna FoodBank A $ 1.4 Million Land Deal? Weird visa fees?

Today’s bundle of burning questions, my smart answers, and the real deal:

Question: What happens with all the $ 1.4 million land transfers between the MANNA food bank and someone named Brian Jones? Why does MANNA have so many properties? Who is Brian J. Jones? There were several transfers for $ 1.4 million.

My answer: If Brian Jones, a founding member of the Rolling Stones, is still alive and buying land in East Asheville, I’m going to be really upset.

real answer: First of all, the way this transaction was listed is confusing. It comes from the Buncombe County land records as eight separate transactions, but it appears each is worth $ 1.4 million.

It’s “misleading,” according to Hannah Randall, CEO of MANNA FoodBank.

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The property, which totals about 60 acres and includes a house, was donated to MANNA amid the pandemic, Randall said. MANNA, a non-profit organization that partners with more than 200 local agencies in 16 counties to deliver food to people in need, is also to build a new facility.

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“So this donor donated a house to us that had plots of land attached to it,” Randall said. “We sold them together for a total of $ 1.425 million. They are not each $ 1.425 million.”

Transfers are listed in the Riceville area in East Asheville and we’ll be posting them this Sunday, September 26th. Here is how they are listed in land transfers:

• 5.74 acres on Poplar Creek Drive, $ 1,425,000, MANNA FoodBank Inc. to Brian J. Jones.
• 4.3 acres on Patriots Drive, $ 1,425,000, MANNA FoodBank Inc. to Brian J. Jones.
• 10.21 acres on Patriots Drive, $ 1,425,000, MANNA FoodBank Inc. to Brian J. Jones.
• 180 Independence Blvd., $ 1,425,000, MANNA FoodBank Inc to Brian J. Jones.
• 10.85 acres on Independence Blvd., $ 1,425,000, MANNA FoodBank Inc. to Brian J. Jones.
• 10.31 acres on Patriots Drive, $ 1,425,000, MANNA FoodBank Inc. to Brian J. Jones.
• 7.48 acres on Patriots Drive, $ 1,425,000, MANNA FoodBank Inc. to Brian J. Jones.
• 10.46 acres on Patriots Drive, $ 1,425,000, MANNA FoodBank Inc. to Brian J. Jones.

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“Everything was obviously sold together too,” Randall said. “It’s residential property that we couldn’t build a food bank on.”

By the way, Randall said they didn’t know Brian J. Jones.

MANNA is a member of Feeding America, the nation’s largest anti-hunger organization, and has been in Asheville since 1983.

MANNA currently transports more than 50,000 pounds of food per day through a partner network of more than 200 agencies, “extending all resources to meet the growing food needs in our 16-county region of the WNC,” according to its website.

Located at 627 Swannanoa River Road in East Asheville, MANNA plans to build a larger facility, and the proceeds from this land transaction will come in handy.

“This is part of what will hopefully eventually make possible a new facility built by our community for our community that can be there for generations to come,” said Randall.

When asked for a schedule, Randall said with a laugh, “I’d love to tell you that I knew that.”

“It will be a question of when we can raise the necessary funds for the new facility, as well as the timelines,” Randall added. “It’s not entirely clear yet.”

For more information on MANNA, or to donate, visit www.mannafoodbank.org.

Question: Whenever I use my Visa card to make a purchase, the correct amount almost always shows up within minutes in my account where I do my banking at Wells Fargo. I always ask for a receipt, and the amount on the receipt always matches the electronic version, with the exception of tips, which often do not appear initially, even though they are part of the invoice. Why is that? Also, when I receive gasoline, the initial charge always shows as $ 1, no matter how much gasoline I purchased. It is only later that the actual amount appears. Is it only linked to my Visa card with my bank? Or is it something that happens with all the cards? And if so, why ?

My answer: I’d just like to note for the record that when I charge the $ 50 fee per question answered, it goes straight to your bill. Please I only accept cash tips (large denominations, unmarked bills …).

real answer: A lot of credit cards do this (I’ve done this with Visa and MasterCard), and it’s all about pre-authorization.

“Pre-authorizations are used by merchants for purchases where they don’t know the final charge amount when someone types, dips or swipes their card,” said Andy Gerlt, vice president of corporate communications worldwide at Visa, by e-mail. “Hotels, rental cars, gas stations and restaurants are the most common types of merchants who use these pre-authorizations. “

The reason is quite simple.

“When you type or dip your card at a gas pump, for example, the gas station doesn’t know how much gasoline you plan to buy,” Gerlt said. “Merchants can place a $ 1 pre-authorization while waiting for the transaction to occur. Once the full price is known, the merchant will authorize the transaction for the full amount and remove the temporary fees.”

The same goes for catering costs.

“In most restaurants, you have the option of adding a tip after paying for your meal,” said Gerlt. “Restaurants will pre-authorize your bill amount, but will not convert it to a charge until the final amount, including tip, is known.”

This is the opinion of John Boyle. To submit a question, contact him at 232-5847 or jboyle@citizen-times.com