[ethanbond]

False information like

Q: Who is buying this land?

A: XYZ Shell Corp (no connection to who is actually effectively buying and coming into control of this land)?

Obviously your argument will be "it's not false that XYZ Shell Corp is buying it," and sure, but it's obviously misleading in a way that affects the transaction, as it is specifically designed to do.

[s1artibartfast]

I don't even think it's misleading. You don't know what XYZ show Corp does or will do with the land. It's a mystery not a deception.

On the other hand, if the buyer is called XYZ Fun Center and tells you that they're going to put in a nonprofit for Orphans, that would be deception.

It all comes back to the idea that saying I won't tell you what I'm going to do with the purchase is not a lie. It's perfectly honest

[itisit]

I'd say the primary concern is not with the purchasing party exercising their right not to disclose their intent post-sale. It's that they're intentionally masking their identity to prevent unwelcome influence on the transaction (i.e. If you know I'm rich, you're going to jack up the price.)

I think the argument is really over whether parties on either side are entitled to privacy/anonymity. The answer seems to be 'yes' in the form of typically legal shell corps, anonymous LLCs, and the like.

[s1artibartfast]

I agree that the heart it's about privacy, and what compelling reason we would have as a society that would supersede privacy.

I don't think the idea that benefiting one party's negotiation is such a compelling interest. In the case of Disney, it sounds good because it benefits the perceived Underdog, but It can just as easily cut the other way, especially if you extended to how bad you want something as some people in the thread advocate.

Maybe you want to buy a specific house cuz it's next to the Medical Center where you get treatment. That would probably influence how much you're willing to pay.