I would venture to say that as JB and the Tombstone CEO were not on speaking terms, or so I understand, an accomodation could have been worked out earlier.  I suspect, however, that the other party did not want to do JB any favors, so held those claims to the very last minute.

Thank the Slovenian courts.  Tombstone had a partner that later came into the company while they persued a suite in Slovenia for a unlawful taking of a producing mine there - could have been worth 10's or 100's of millions.  They lost.  That was the beginning of the end for TMBXF.  They are still around, though, kicking rocks in Mexico after failing in Cochise County and Yuma County, AZ.

Having said that, I think they still hold a mining property in fee simple - not a claim - northwest of Tombstone, but lack the funds to do anything with it.  ...need something requiring cheap start-up, I think, hence the interest in Mexico.  Again, I don't think they understood they were sitting on Carlin style mineralization with their Zebra project, now rolled into Hay Mountain.

Good work, JB, and thank you.

VP in AZ