Do we know for sure that the kingdom hall deeds are put in the name of the Watchtower? I thought they set up a local trust composed of loyal elders whom the deed was given to.
So..You donate your money, and then you have to pay intrest on it??!!
by Lady Liberty 29 Replies latest watchtower scandals
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Kudra
Ha, 38yrs, that reminded me of a time when my mom signed up to bring a dish to the hall build. She was so nervous about the quality of what she made, didn't want people to know it was hers, etc. She is super modest about everything she does.
Anyhoo, all the other dishes had, proudly displayed on little cards on a toothpick stuck into the front of each of the dishes, the names of the sisters that had cooked them. It was pretty funny. I think that it was a cultural thing as all the sisters that did that were from the spanish hall.
We totally got a kick out of it.
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zack
To be fair, the WTS charges about 3% a year simple interest on a loan, which is currently about the rate of inflation. If interest is not charged, at least at the rate of inflation, it erodes the value of the fund. The local Kingdom Halls are not owned by the WTS, they are owned by a local not for profit which is the cong. holding the territory where the building is located. 3 elders are trustees of the property and the elders are appointed by the WTS, and yes, they will do whatever the WTS wants.
Of course, local congos. can rent or lease a facility instead of purchasing one. Either way, the expense is borne by the contributors who own nothing in the end, not even the "treasures in heaven" they believe they are accumulating for themselves.
The Assembly Halls, on the other hand, are a different story.
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neverendingjourney
Thanks, Zack. That was pretty much my impression. You can definitely make an argument that the society has virtual control of the kingdom halls, but not actual ownership of them, at least based off of everything I presently know. I think having ownership of thousands and thousands of kingdom halls could have some legal repercussions that they're not willing to entertain at the moment. Either way, it's a scam. The poor brothers that donate the money and contribute their labor to building them will never see a dime.
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TJ - iAmCleared2Land
Do we know for sure that the kingdom hall deeds are put in the name of the Watchtower? I thought they set up a local trust composed of loyal elders whom the deed was given to.
You are correct. The Society doesn't hold title or deed to the local congregations property or building. This is for a very specific reason: if somebody gets hurt on that property, they can only sue the local congregation, not the WTB&TS.
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juni
You are correct. The Society doesn't hold title or deed to the local congregations property or building. This is for a very specific reason: if somebody gets hurt on that property, they can only sue the local congregation, not the WTB&TS.
Welcome TJ to the forum! Another Texan!
This would make sense, but do you know this for a fact? Just wondering. Thanks.
Juni
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TJ - iAmCleared2Land
Thanks for the welcome, Juni. I'm pleased to be here.
Yes, I know this for a fact. One of my assigned BOE responsibilities was that I took care of the land/title stuff for our KH. I dealt directly with the Society's Legal department to try to clear up some title issues on our property.
While the Society doesn't directly own the properties, they do exercise a great deal of oversight, telling the elders in a VERY DIRECT format what they expect to be done, and when they expect to hear IN WRITING that it was accomplished (date deadlines). When you miss those deadlines, you get letters asking for an explanation why x, y, or z wasn't accomplished per the original instructions.
Part of that process is an annual audit form that needs to be sent back to the Society that details all of the specifics about the title, deed, insurance, etc. This form is different from the Property Checklist you may be familiar with from SM/OKM announcements. The Property Checklist details maintenance items (roof inspection, paint, landscape, windows, security, lighting, etc.). The form I'm referring to gets into specifics of ensuring that titles and deeds and such are "in order" and ensuring that the Society is NOT listed as an owner (for lawsuit reasons).
The local trustees (3 elders) and congregation are the ones that will be named in any lawsuit.
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OnTheWayOut
You are correct. The Society doesn't hold title or deed to the local congregations property or building. This is for a very specific reason: if somebody gets hurt on that property, they can only sue the local congregation, not the WTB&TS.
I know this for a fact. The society only gets the land and building if the local congregation(s) dissolve. If the property is sold,
and a new building goes up, the money is to be used for the new land, but that is subject to approval from Mother and
her Building Committees.This is how they can say the land is not theirs, but it really is. The locals must continue to use the land or else it is
the property of the organization.Some locals get around the society loan by purchasing the land with the sale of their old hall, meeting elsewhere for
awhile, and even getting their own loans without Society moneys. They still agree to give it to WTS if they dissolve.The WTS works against this by telling them they should own the land outright before applying for a loan from the
Society to build, and they should not sell their old hall until there's a new one in place. This causes the locals to
save up for the property before selling, then get a loan for building, then send the total amount to WTS from the sale of
their old hall to pay back the loan on the new hall. This way, WTS really dictates what they do. -
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emptywords
At the end of the day, who benifits from the societies money then. I don't see Lett and the other GB boys driving around in mercs or sailing up the carabean on a lavish boat. So if they are accumuating all this wealth (besides using it for KH and missinaries bethels and trainings) what are and why do they want or have to charge interest. And why are they so stingy then.
If the WTBTS folded tomorrow who would get the wealth.?
