Watchtower Attorney and new contract for deceased?

by Dogpatch 54 Replies latest jw friends

  • agonus
    agonus

    So, did the human tarballs at Legal manage to suck any marrow from the Mike Hammer franchise or any of Mickey Spillane's estate?

  • sabastious
    sabastious

    Sounds made up, doesn't mean it is.

    -Sab

  • thetrueone
    thetrueone

    One thing that has to be noted if a person has wealth and they are a JW in good standing, the elders

    have a tendency to kiss up to these people.

    When your a JW you know who's in your hall and who has money in their pockets and who doesn't.

  • ziddina
    ziddina

    Hmmm. I have a copy of the Watchtower Society's special "donations" pamphlet, titled "Charitable Planning to Benefit Kingdom Service Worldwide", with 32 pages, which I printed out from a Watchtower pdf site before it was taken down...

    I read a few bits from it, on last week's "Six Screens" broadcast; wish I'd just read the pamphlet instead of discussing some of the items in it.

    At least I was able to print it out before the website disappeared... All 32 pages...

    Here's a thread that discusses the Britich online version of the Watchtower Society's "Charitable Planning" requests for donations...

    http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/80561/1/JWGift-org-New-Watchtower-Website-for-Online-Donations

    Have fun!!! I may eventually start a thread with all 32 pages of the now-defunct pamphlet, but knowing this site, somebody else has alread done that...

    Well. That's weird. I just searched this site; maybe I used the wrong terms... If that pdf has never been posted in its entirety, I may do so...

    Zid

  • Hadit
    Hadit

    That absolutely sickens me! That is pure evil. It's not enough that families are suffering at the loss of their loved ones the WTS steals what belongs to their children! I haven't heard of this form. Is it possible to phone them up and request a copy of the form? I'm not sure that they would give it but it would be worth a try. I'm hoping someone on this forum might know more about it.

    This information certainly needs to go public! I'm sure it is wreaking havoc on many people's lives.

  • Hadit
    Hadit

    I don't know if this helps or not but here is an excerpt from the Watchtower. They certainly know what they are doing! It would be interesting to get a copy of the brochure they have about charitable planning.

    CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WORLDWIDE WORK

    MANY set aside, or budget, an amount that they place in the contribution boxes labeled “Contributions for the Society’s Worldwide Work—Matthew 24:14.” Each month congregations forward these amounts either to the world headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, or to the local branch office.

    Voluntary donations of money may also be sent directly to the Treasurer’s Office, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, New York 11201-2483, or to the Society’s office that serves your country. Jewelry or other valuables may be donated as well. A brief letter stating that such is an outright gift should accompany these contributions.

    CONDITIONAL-DONATION ARRANGEMENT

    Money may be given to the Watch Tower Society under a special arrangement in which, should the donor have a personal need, the donation will be returned to him. For more information, please contact the Treasurer’s Office at the address noted above.

    CHARITABLE PLANNING

    In addition to outright gifts of money and conditional donations of money, there are other methods of giving to benefit Kingdom service worldwide. These include:

    Insurance: The Watch Tower Society may be named as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy or in a retirement/pension plan.

    Bank Accounts: Bank accounts, certificates of deposit, or individual retirement accounts may be placed in trust for or made payable on death to the Watch Tower Society, in accord with local bank requirements.

    Stocks and Bonds: Stocks and bonds may be donated to the Watch Tower Society either as an outright gift or under an arrangement whereby income continues to be paid to the donor.

    Real Estate: Salable real estate may be donated to the Watch Tower Society either by making an outright gift or by reserving a life estate to the donor, who can continue to live therein during his or her lifetime. One should contact the Society before deeding any real estate to the Society.

    Wills and Trusts: Property or money may be bequeathed to the Watch Tower Society by means of a legally executed will, or the Society may be named as a beneficiary of a trust agreement. A trust benefiting a religious organization may provide certain tax advantages.

    As the term “charitable planning” implies, these types of donations typically require some planning on the part of the donor. To assist individuals desiring to benefit the Society through some form of charitable planning, the Society has prepared an English-language brochure entitled Planned Giving to Benefit Kingdom Service Worldwide. The brochure was written in response to the many inquiries the Society has received regarding gifts, wills, and trusts. It also contains additional useful information on estate, financial, and tax planning. And it is designed to help individuals in the United States who are planning to make a special gift to the Society now or to leave a bequest at death to select the most advantageous and efficient method in the light of their family and personal circumstances. This brochure may be obtained by requesting a copy directly from the Charitable Planning Office.
    After reading the brochure and conferring with the Charitable Planning Office, many have been able to assist the Society and at the same time, maximize the tax benefits of doing so. The Charitable Planning Office should be informed of and receive a copy of any relevant document pertaining to any of these arrangements. If you are interested in any of these charitable planning arrangements, you should contact the Charitable Planning Office, either in writing or by telephone, at the address listed below or at the Society’s office that serves your country.

    CHARITABLE PLANNING OFFICE

    Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania

    100 Watchtower Drive, Patterson, New York 12563-9204


    Telephone: (914) 306-1000

  • metatron
    metatron

    Reminds me of a BlackAdder sketch:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkykJ5uFqPI

    metatron

  • cameo-d
    cameo-d

    I would think it would be important to check the dates on the documents and whether there is an unbiased two witness signature to attest to the validity. If these papers are suddenly brought out as a shock to the family....something is very wrong.

    Signatures can be forged. Papers can be shuffled; maybe the person did not even know what they signed.

    I have an idea that whatever was said about "assurance of their home in paradise" is not written in the contract. If this malarkey can be proven, the contract is based on fraud. Take it to trial. Blow a loud horn. Call in the press.

    If the person was approached to sign these documents and did not voluntarily come forth of their own free will asking for such a contract, there is a strong element of coersion here. And if authority figures took the initiative to approach and present the documents, the signature was most probably given under duress.

    It is unlawful, unconsciencionable, and immoral to extract such signatures under threat, duress, and coercion.

    I think a case could be made on whether the victim ASKED for the documents to be brought forth or whether the thugs took the initiative to hound the victim to sign the goods over by using their dominating status and fraudulent promises of "future life".

  • skeeter1
    skeeter1

    Undue coercion is ripe in elder law, especially in dealing with church's taking money from the elderly through wills. This is not a new area of the law, and the family needs to speak to an experienced estate attorney who has handled this type of claim. A call into the State's Bar and then asking for names of the attorneys who have chaired the estate/gift area would be a good start to get a top attorney in this area.

    If there is bad signatures, then you have fraud . . . which may carry some sort of civil and criminal consequences.

    But, I fear the Witnesses and notaries would all stick up for this.

    Also, I dont' know how this would work out in Lawyer's Rules . . . but I seem to recall that a lawyer can't write a will that he'd benefit from. (I.e. can't will the old man's Porsche to the attorney). I don't know if that extends to a church's attorney, where the attorney has taken an oath to the chuch, and then writes a will that benefits the church. It "seems" shady, but I don't know whether or not the courts or legal socieities have looked at this area.

  • Lady Lee
    Lady Lee

    The Charitable Planning Brochure

    http://www.filesend.net/download.php?f=54896395df09cf755deb771c7835fc51

    My mother told my sister years ago she had signed everything away to the WTS.

    Oh well I wasn't expecting anything anyways

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit