FLDS evictions video/article

[silverspoons]

This is our only real local southern Utah news source, so I hope it is okay to post a link.

 

I saw a few polygamist families moving in with some former polygamists in a subdivision near me yesterday. Then I found this story.

 

It is interesting they won't pay $100 a month to stay. It is going to be very hard to find housing for all these families. Right now to find a decent 3 bedroom house in a safe neighborhood in St George is $1500 + . I just worry about the kids living conditions getting worse with so many families living in one house. At least the schools in St George I have experience with have been awesome at catching the kids up and helping them fit in. If it were not for the last names I would have never known some of my son's classmates were "FLDS homeschooled" up until a few years ago.

 

Just seeing that half finished home exterior in the video, a family has been living in for 20-30 years to avoid taxes..ugh!

 

FLDS evictions

[DaisyD]

Ah, St. George. I went to a boarding school there. I had seen the Colorado City folks in my northern AZ town, but didn't really process it until I lived in St. George.

In my experience no outsiders are welcome there, no matter the reason. My dad and I drove through once (like a wild animal park). We were followed by a white van with several antenna until we left. This was during the height of Warren Jeffs reign, do maybe it's changed.

I wish nothing but peace and healing for those people. I have no problem with polygamy in and of itself, as long as it's among consenting adults and people are allowed to leave if they choose. It's been a long time since that was the case in that community though. I really hope they can move past that history and into a better place (I also really hope they have a desire to do so as I have no idea if that's the goal).

[DGayle]

So Jeff Warrens owned the land and houses? Where does the money in the trust go?

[Geechee Girl]

I'm confused. Are they being evicted because the county hasn't issued a Certificate of Occupancy? Or, is the Trust evicting them punitively in order to move new families in? Have these displaced families been cast out into the wilderness?

I did a road trip through Utah, and some places were downright creepy. My presence brought an entire gas station convenience to a halt. I've never been stared sown by so many white people in my life. At the St.George Wal-Mart, I saw plenty of prairie dresses and french braids with really tall bump in the front. I have no idea what that is called.

[Bethella]

I'm confused. Are they being evicted because the county hasn't issued a Certificate of Occupancy? Or, is the Trust evicting them punitively in order to move new families in? Have these displaced families been cast out into the wilderness?

I did a road trip through Utah, and some places were downright creepy. My presence brought an entire gas station convenience to a halt. I've never been stared sown by so many white people in my life. At the St.George Wal-Mart, I saw plenty of prairie dresses and french braids with really tall bump in the front. I have no idea what that is called.

The trust is evicting them because they refuse to pay a token rent of $100/month. From the article:

After the UEP Trust was taken out of Jeffs’ control in 2005, those living on UEP land were asked to sign occupancy agreements and were billed $100 per month in occupancy fees to be paid to the trust.

It also states that the Trust has been working with the residents who can't afford to pay that much. I think it has as much to do with the FLDS members refusing to give money to a trust that is currently under judicial/government control- they were probably paying the church/Trust or working in a church facility to cover their "rent" before Jeffs lost control.

[nelliebelle1197]

So Jeff Warrens owned the land and houses? Where does the money in the trust go?

There is an independent trustee that is administering it for the community. As far as I know, it is just sitting there and the people who cooperate with the trust are allowed to rent/have lifetime leases on their homes.

[Georgiana]

I don't know how it is in those states, but in my state, here's how it works:

If you pay ANY amount towards your rooming in a location, whether it is market rate or just a small fee (like $1), then you are legally a tenant and get all the rights of a tenant. The same can also be argued if you are paying the utilities/other services in your name. This gives you a lot of protection from your landlord by the state. You become entitled to due process before you can be kicked out/evicted for example.

However, if you do not pay anything directly towards your rooming in a location or pay the utilities in your own name, then you are legally a guest of the owner. They can ask you to leave whenever and you must leave immediately or you are trespassing. If you do not leave THAT VERY NIGHT, they can call the cops and have you forcibly removed.

While not charging rent/utilities as such SEEMED great, what Jeffs was doing was basically ensuring the people who lived there had no legal rights to their homes and so could be thrown out whenever he felt like it. He was ensuring that legally, he held all the power as to who lived on the land and could remove someone at will and with no notice.

What the UEP Trust is trying to do is to ensure that the people who live there DO have rights as tenants, which means that they CANNOT be thrown out at a moment's notice. It is actually BETTER for the residents, even though they now have to pay residency fees.

[ADoyle90815]

Ah, St. George. I went to a boarding school there. I had seen the Colorado City folks in my northern AZ town, but didn't really process it until I lived in St. George.

In my experience no outsiders are welcome there, no matter the reason. My dad and I drove through once (like a wild animal park). We were followed by a white van with several antenna until we left. This was during the height of Warren Jeffs reign, do maybe it's changed.

I wish nothing but peace and healing for those people. I have no problem with polygamy in and of itself, as long as it's among consenting adults and people are allowed to leave if they choose. It's been a long time since that was the case in that community though. I really hope they can move past that history and into a better place (I also really hope they have a desire to do so as I have no idea if that's the goal).

Over a year ago, my mom and I drove through Colorado City, and we were lucky that no vans were following us, but it was like driving through a wild animal park, but far creepier. This was towards the end of a Grand Canyon trip, as we ended up staying a night in St George before going back to Vegas where my mom lives. Obviously by this time, Warren Jeffs had been convicted so any control he had over his cult was from his prison cell. I had actually read "The Witness Wore Red" before that vacation, so I actually wore a red shirt when I knew we were going to be near Colorado City.

[MamaJunebug]

I'm having trouble keeping track of who's who(m), here.

So the folks who are permitting themselves to be evicted are Jeffs loyalists?

[Wingnut]

I'm having trouble keeping track of who's who(m), here.

So the folks who are permitting themselves to be evicted are Jeffs loyalists?

It is very complicated situation to try to explain if you haven't followed it from the beginning. But in a nut shell - yes, the majority of the evictees are Jeffs loyalists. The people that originally lived in the houses were thrown out for going against Jeffs.

Many of the original home owners built and paid for those houses with their own money. However Jeffs had it set up that all the land belonged to the UEP. He used that to kick them out when they were no longer doing as he wanted.

In 2005 Utah courts seized and took control of the UEP with the intent of dividing the land up into normal parcels and giving the residents deeds to the homes so that they would not have to fear being kicked out on a moments notice.

The loyalists are still taking direction from Jeffs even though he is locked up.

[Geechee Girl]

Thanks to all y'all for the explanations. I hadn't realized the Trust was in government hands which confused me as why the occupants refused to pay to stay. Now I understand those evicted are ride or die for Jeffs.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

A new "reality" show about the Kingston polygamists premieres this week on Lifetime. July 14

mylifetime.com/movies/escaping-polygamy

[Wingnut]

A new "reality" show about the Kingston polygamists premieres this week on Lifetime. July 14

mylifetime.com/movies/escaping-polygamy

I saw the commercial for that. I will be watching it.

[FundieFarmer]

I didn't know about that, but I'll be there. Thanks for the heads up, NotALoserLikeYou!

[NotALoserLikeYou]

Anyone watch? I think it was pretty good. It didn't even seem that staged. Kingstons are fascinating. That one woman who spoke - her parents are half siblings!

[quiversR4hunting]

it's already posted in full on mylifetime.com! I am watching now. Warning - could be triggers for some (only 2 minutes in)

http://www.mylifetime.com/movies/escapi ... l-episodes

[Wingnut]

I don't have the channel it was aired on but am going to watch it later on the computer.

[quiversR4hunting]

Anyone watch? I think it was pretty good. It didn't even seem that staged. Kingstons are fascinating. That one woman who spoke - her parents are half siblings!

I'm a little over 1/2 way thru. I almost threw up (eating my lunch) when I heard the daughter say they were 1/2 siblings. It's amazing those kids don't have disabilities from the close breeding. Even her options of marrying her cousin- :ew:

It doesn't seem too staged. Some of the stuff with just the featured ladies are probably recreated but the actual rescue and health inspection was probably real. Lots of blurred faces, which make me think a lot of it wasn't staged.

[EmmieJ]

I didn't see this thread but I accidentally stumbled across this show last night and watched for several hours. I was wondering how much was real and how much was scripted. For example, when they went to rescue one girl and she snuck out of church. I just kept wondering why no one down below at the church or in the street didn't notice not only a young woman standing up on the roadway, but a camera man and some guy holding a mike. Wouldn't that sort of stand out? But perhaps that was a re-creation of an actual event.

I also worried when they would show someone home, and list the name of the city. What if that house were recognized by any current Order members?

It's so hard not to get frustrated by the mom who says she wants to leave, who says she's fed up with her living conditions, yet any time one of her daughters, or her brother or SIL, try to push her to commit to leaving, she says she can't, "it's a bad time," or "there's too much going on."

But the creepiest part was when they showed the footage of people giving testimony, and all the kids, one by one, talking about how their leader is the "man in the watch tower."

[quiversR4hunting]

I didn't see this thread but I accidentally stumbled across this show last night and watched for several hours. I was wondering how much was real and how much was scripted. For example, when they went to rescue one girl and she snuck out of church. I just kept wondering why no one down below at the church or in the street didn't notice not only a young woman standing up on the roadway, but a camera man and some guy holding a mike. Wouldn't that sort of stand out? But perhaps that was a re-creation of an actual event.

I also worried when they would show someone home, and list the name of the city. What if that house were recognized by any current Order members?

It's so hard not to get frustrated by the mom who says she wants to leave, who says she's fed up with her living conditions, yet any time one of her daughters, or her brother or SIL, try to push her to commit to leaving, she says she can't, "it's a bad time," or "there's too much going on."

But the creepiest part was when they showed the footage of people giving testimony, and all the kids, one by one, talking about how their leader is the "man in the watch tower."

The testimony was super creepy. I too would be frustrated by the mom that wants to leave but (insert any excuse). It is telling how brainwashed and abused she is, she sounds just like a person justifying getting hit last night by their partner.

I don't know much about this sect- do the kids go to regular school (unlike the Jeffs sect)?

[Mary C Doates]

A FJ member on another thread suggested checking out a site about the FLDS, which attempts to explain some of the interrelationships between families:

Politicsrusprinciple.tumblr.com

[DarkAnts]

I worked for a Kingston owned business. I did not know it at the time of hire. I started to suspect things when the Davis county cooperative society kept calling (It was programmed into the phone to have that name show up when they called). One thing not mentioned on the escape from polygamy is the fact that their members who work for business owned by the cult, are paid very little and it's often in Kingston script. The Kingston script can be used only at Kingston run businesses.

They are the mofia of Utah.

[Wingnut]

The testimony was super creepy. I too would be frustrated by the mom that wants to leave but (insert any excuse). It is telling how brainwashed and abused she is, she sounds just like a person justifying getting hit last night by their partner.

I don't know much about this sect- do the kids go to regular school (unlike the Jeffs sect)?

There was a public school in Hilldale that the FLDS had basically taken control of. When they started getting national attn apprx a decade ago Warren Jeffs had a "revelation" and ordered that all the children be homeschooled with materials supplied by the church.

The school has recently (May IIRC) re-opened but there had not been much information released yet on how that is working out.

[quiversR4hunting]

There was a public school in Hilldale that the FLDS had basically taken control of. When they started getting national attn apprx a decade ago Warren Jeffs had a "revelation" and ordered that all the children be homeschooled with materials supplied by the church.

The school has recently (May IIRC) re-opened but there had not been much information released yet on how that is working out.

Yeah, that is what I recall of Jeff's sect and Hilldale but my understanding is Kingston is not in Hilldale but in the Salt Lake City area. So do "the Order" children go to public school? Church school? Homeschool? Anyone know? In the rolling stone article (link below written in 2011) indicates they went to public school. Also from the episode this section of FLDS wears normal clothes and hairstyle. Not the prairie dresses with that weird hair style.

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/new ... e-20110615

[quiversR4hunting]

A FJ member on another thread suggested checking out a site about the FLDS, which attempts to explain some of the interrelationships between families:

Politicsrusprinciple.tumblr.com

wow! thanks MaryCD. I don't have time to look at all that today but I started scanning it. Wow.