Man Turns Down Guaranteed 300,000 Shekel Fee to Avoid Fundraising for Missionary Groups

R. Michael Stroud, who locates ownerless or forgotten land and traces the legal heirs, says he walked away from a case that could have earned him a guaranteed net commission of 300,000 shekels. He asked for the story to be made public, he said, as a lesson for others facing similar temptations.

Stroud explained that his work is often long, complex, and uncertain, with cases failing because of identification problems, multiple heirs, or relatives who simply refuse to cooperate. In this case, however, he said the property had clear identifying details, and he had already mapped the inheritance chain, including contacts in Europe, before concluding that the fee would have reached the 300,000 shekel level once the heirs received the inheritance.

He said an early warning sign appeared when a non-family missionary figure had already been involved in the inheritance process. After further research, and with help from the anti-missionary organization Yad L'Achim, Stroud learned that the ultimate beneficiaries were not private heirs but organizations tied to missionary sects. According to the material he reviewed, one charity publicly presented itself as a drug-rehabilitation group, another as a support group for the needy, and a third as a social club in a nursing home, but all were linked to missionary activity aimed at persuading Jews to convert.

Stroud said that once he understood where most of the money would go, he closed the file. “I am part of the Jewish people and I will not fall,” he said, adding that he would not help strengthen “that sect.” Yad L'Achim confirmed the details and praised him for refusing the money and helping block support for missionary activity.