this is a huge cash cow for the WTBTS. No collection plate is passed because it is made through interest charges. Some may recall the "watchtower bank" scam they tried to run a few years ago where they would hold any monies in savings a congo had. That didnt go over well so they had t find a way to get that money. This is such a huge deal, it could be an expose news story.
Kingdom Hall remodel - scam
by Dagney 84 Replies latest jw friends
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flipper
DAGNEY- I think you are right on the money. Nailed it. I feel the WTS is influencing more congregations to remodel so they can get their greedy little paws on the financial holdings of congregations . AS you know I have a JW relative heavily involved in the building program and she's ( wink, wink ) gone constantly on these things almost every weekend. To the neglect of more important family obligations if you get my drift. Getting ridiculous
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blond-moment
$20,000 for a toilet (exaggeration), $100,000(pretty close to fact) for a new parking lot, $70,000 for a paint job (pretty close to fact). Take out a loan FROM the society, and pay it back WITH interest. Yeah, but they are an "honest" organization. *faceplant*
It's sad, if they would just get real estimates on these "upgrades" they would see just how much they are being ripped off.
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cedars
Dagney - if you want to know what happens when the local elders object to unnecessary remodelling - research the "Menlo Park" scandal.
Here is a link to get you going...
http://ex-jw.com/a-kingdom-hall-takeover
Cedars
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wha happened?
So let me get this straight.
You have a congregation, that is financially stabe with reserves.
The WT wants that reserves, so they encourage a remodel.
The cost is at full price, but the work is voluntary.
The congregation turns over their reserve, and takes a loan out on the remaining balance, with interest.
The kingdon hall is signed over to the WT.
LOan gets paid by the congregations, Proceeds of the KH goes to the society when it'sold later.
Am I missing anything?
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darth frosty
The KH remodels and ass-emblies/conventions are the best money grabs they have.
KH remodels they have to borrow the money from the society for a bldg that the society already owns at 3% interest. I found out they dis-solved a congo I used to attend because they could not afford the remodel.
The ass-emblies are a great grab with the way they take a count of people attending and than use the number X's a dollar amount per person and wah-lah there is the assembly hall cost. I used to always wonder why a weekend or special day assembly would cost $8-10k for a paid off assembly hall?!? Now I know.
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palmtree67
It was a bogus re-model that started me thinking, too.
This was purely re-decorating - new carpet, drapes, wallpaper, arborite....Somehow the entire thing was going to cost $50,000......ok.....whatever. Remodel approved by congregation.
Then, after the most *hideous* decorating known to man (No, seriously....everyone hated it....) a resolution was presented that the congregation now had to come up with another $25,000, no explanation given.
In the real world, if a company bids on a job and gets it for $50,000, there is no way in hell they can present a bill at the end of it for another 50% over budget and get away with it, with no questions asked.
Everyone was talking about the hideous decorating and the amount we paid for it, but of course.....we paid it.
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wha happened?
@$75k? Wow.
I think some brothers get in on the action though. Some years back a brother made the suggestion that keeping up with the groundskeeping was a waste of money, etc etc. Well brothers used to volunteer who did that kind of work. It was handled. Oh no this brother saw a need, and convinced the congs to look into this fake grass. He almost had it sodl to all 4 congregations if it wasn't for an older sister, who asked; "Has anyone looked into less expensive alternatives?"It was really expensive.
Well that set off a firestorm and eventual name calling. Jezabel, etc etc. But, it was a logical question and it killed the idea. Turns out the brother would have made some decent money on the deal
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discreetslave
My father in law told me some time ago that at a big RBC meeting they were told if a KH is paid for and there is another in the circuit or district that is in need of repairs take out a loan (with the WT of course) and donate the funds to the hall in need. This way a KH with publishers with a lower income doesn't have to take out a huge loan if one is still needed to meet the cost. He made it seem like this is so wonderful and caring but I thought why doesn't the WT help them out instead of others taking on a debt.