our KH (worth half a million ££) is to be sold

by quietlyleaving 40 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  quietlyleaving

  a local congregation is the owner. (This hall occupies an area of 1000sq ft). Other KHs to be sold too...

  I don't know how many

  and get this - 15 congregations will be leasing 7000 sq ft of space for 1 and half million £ to build a multiplex of halls. The interesting bit is that, according to the estate agents handling the sale, if a religious organisation buys the lease they can get charitable funding for 70% of the asking price!!!!!

  So if there is any money left over from the sale of the various KHs that are owned by individual congregations will it stay in this country????
• 

  DaCheech

  gotta love how they tell us to hate the love of money.......... but they use every trick of the trade to get the most money.

  whether it's using contributions and free labor or just seliing to get a bigger/better deal, it's them!
• 

  blondie

  I don't know about your area but in the US only the congregation who holds the territory the KH sits on has any say in the matter or controls the money. It is through a 3 elder committee (elders only from that congregation) who function as trustees. This process is called non-profit corporation and none of the elders or individuals in the congregation "own" the building or property. This is a tax measure and must be strictly adhered to or the congregation will have to pay taxes to the IRS. Those trustees have the authority to decide where the money goes. The last congregation I attended refused to turn the money over to a neighboring congregation although the WTS pressured them to do so through the CO. Will other congregations cave into such pressure. perhaps.
• 

  Bonnie_Clyde

  The last congregation I attended refused to turn the money over to a neighboring congregation although the WTS pressured them to do so through the CO. Will other congregations cave into such pressure. perhaps.

  Several years ago there were about 6 elders in a congregation near us who lost their position because they refused to turn money over to a neighboring congregation.
• 

  Gayle

  So 15 congregations will be sharing together the 7,000 sq ft? So it sounds like the congregations will have more traveling (more gas money and time expense) for the meetings, as the meetings won't be as localized? Even if there is 3 congs. per KH now, selling each KH at .5 Mil. ££ comes to 2,500,000 ££. And the new "MEGA" (church) KH is to be only 1.5 million ££. So that leaves 1 million £ profit for the headquarters, back in the U.S.? Or will the headquarters take it all and make the local JWs make full monthly payments? The locals and government should be squawking majorly about this. The Watchtower headquarters is truly 'tycoon' real estate business.
• 

  blondie

  So does the UK have a non-profit arrangement for religious groups. What are the regulations? Are these funds allowed by the government to leave the UK? Perhaps a website on this would be helpful.
• 

  quietlyleaving

  One indivdual owned the floor space on which our KH stands. He donated it to one of the local congregations and yes that congregation's elders were quite possessive about their hall and had to be sorted by the CO a few years back.

  Gayle, 4 congregations use our hall. But normally it is 3 congregations per hall. Travelling costs are going to hit local JWs very hard.

  The new area that is to be leased has a D1 cateory rating and in this particular instance comes with a potential grant of 70% of the asking price and of the building costs. This is because the Borough wants to regenerate the area. So if JWs do win the grant, and this is very likely as they have brought in an outside negotiator, then by my reckoning the 1 and a half million price tag will be reduced to something in the region of approx half a million. Of couse there wll be building/consultantcy costs. But the labour will be voluntary.

  Blondie, I too would like to find out if money can be moved out of the UK to prop up WTS headquarters.

  BTW all the info I've shared is now in the public domain - service meeting item on Tuesday. But info about the grant was not announced. Google provided that info.

  Below is info re D1 category institutions

  http://www.startinbusiness.co.uk/info_advice/regulations/uk/property/planning_use_classes_order1987.htm

  Class D1. Non-residential institutionsAny use not including a residential use — (a) for the provision of any medical or health services except the use of premises attached to the residence of the consultant or practioner, (b) as a crêche, day nursery or day centre, (c) for the provision of education, (d) for the display of works of art (otherwise than for sale or hire), (e) as a museum, (f) as a public library or public reading room, (g) as a public hall or exhibition hall, (h) for, or in connection with, public worship or religious instruction
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  Of couse there wll be building/consultantcy costs. But the labour will be voluntary.

  Misleading to the members. From my ignorant understanding, the people on each crew are volunteers but the men (does have to be men) in charge of each department who own the equipment are told to charge for their equipment. It goes beyond wear-and-tear costs, it's a full charge. There's no get-rich-quick part of this in place, but the men who work with the RBC play ball because they get to be "spiritual" and get paid.
• 

  quietlyleaving

  Of couse there wll be building/consultantcy costs. But the labour will be voluntary. Misleading to the members. From my ignorant understanding, the people on each crew are volunteers but the men (does have to be men) in charge of each department who own the equipment are told to charge for their equipment. It goes beyond wear-and-tear costs, it's a full charge. There's no get-rich-quick part of this in place, but the men who work with the RBC play ball because they get to be "spiritual" and get paid.

  otwo, I didn't know that.

  But personally I'd like to see local JWs asking detailed questions about how their money will be spent especially as they will be spending a lot more on fares for meetings.
• 

  treadnh2o

  Ontheway,

  I was on the local RBC (not too long ago). The only ones who got paid were those with very specialized expensive equipment (excavators, dump trucks, cranes, etc.). In fact I will tell you that being involved actually cost me a good amount of money. I donated tools and equipment that nobody knew where it came from. I would have tools that I shared disapear. I would empty out my truck if needed. I figured each quick-build would cost me $300.00 to $500.00 in tools and/or materials. Not counting gas, food or travel expenses. Then there were meetings monthly, nights putting together material lists and missed time making real money.

  The racket is not compensation being handed out to the brothers. It is the fact that that the land is bought by fleecing the congo. The labor is fleeced from the members. The building is built for a fraction of it's worth.

  When the building is sold the Society somehow gets their hands on the money. If not they loan out additional funds if needed and charge interest on that money (depending on the laws of the land). The money they loan out was already given to them, but this way they can demand more from the members by guilting them into a monthly "expense" of a mortgage.

  One of these days this ponzi scheme will be exposed and cost the WBT$ big dollars.

  Can't happen soon enough!