Kingdom Hall Insurance

by NotFormer 13 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  NotFormer

  That the WT "self insures" Kingdom Halls has come up in occasional conversations on here. How exactly does that work? Do they* actually set aside a portion of the monthly remittance from each Kingdom Hall and save into a pool to cover damage etc. issues that arise? If a Kingdom Hall burns down, does that pool get tapped, or is the congregation expected to raise their own funds to rebuild?

  On public liability, I can't imagine a JW suing "the brothers", so I imagine any of those situations are gotten away with Scot free**.

  It all looks a bit iffy to me, hence why I'm posting this in scandals and cover-ups.

  * Presumably some department within Bethel.

  ** But what if an outsider, say a memorial attendee or bible study, decades to sue over an injury obtained on Kingdom Hall premises?
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  ozziepost

  An interesting question and I suspect a discussion is back in the archives.

  I should know the answer to this (“let the reader use discernment” as to why) but I’m suffering from memory lapse that comes from old age and I’ll follow the responses with interest.

  In the meantime,

  Cheers, Ozzie 🍷.
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  TonusOH

  I wonder if there are any places where the law requires that such structures be insured?

  It would make sense to insure them, since the cost of removing the debris, cleaning up the site, and building a new KH would be substantial. Didn't they request that congregations should send everything to the HQ aside from whatever was needed for one or two month's expenses? If they still do that, then no congregation would have the means to even clean up the site, much less rebuild.

  And the WTS would probably get a bargain-basement rate, since they could insure thousands of properties instead of just one. I don't think they could use this to skim money by using cheap labor, since that would be fraud in at least a few countries. But I don't know if the potential cost-savings of not insuring them is worth it.
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  solomon

  The branch basically owns all the Kingdom Halls now so they would look after their property.

  That being said if the local Kingdom Hall that you attend burns to the ground you will be guilted into donating and providing free labour to rebuild the Kingdom Hall that your congregation bought and paid for and was expropriated by the branch.

  That’s how con artists operate. They are not satisfied in taking from you once, they want to take again, again and again.

  When the congregation held title to the Kingdom Hall the branch would charge a couple hundred bucks a month for “insurance” but it was basically another income stream for them.

  If the Kingdom Hall suffered a loss they would guilt free labour and money from the minions to rebuild the hall.
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  no-zombie

  In times long past, Kingdom Halls had insurance policies, just like our own houses and paid for under the hall's normal operating funds. Then as more and more Kingdom Halls became 'owned' by the society, the idea was floated that an insurance discount from a worldly firm was now possible because of the size of collective contract. But once all the halls were fully under the control of the Organization is term of being 'self insured' Kingdom Halls because a thing.

  But really when the Society say 'self insured' what they really mean is, that they will take the risk and pay for the repairs themselves.

  However when a hall is damaged or destroyed, the Governing Body may pay for the materials, but the labor is very often obtained free through the local RBC. Thus in the end, a type of double saving is made ... and maybe more if the congregations around the damaged hall are encouraged to donate funds for that project or the world wide work.
  

  It not a scam ... but seeing the rebuilds continually done by local Brothers, when enough money was supposedly set a side to pay for an outside contractor, makes me believe that it is a policy decision.
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  Atlantis

  Congregation Insurance Manual (1980)

  
  

  https://pdfupload.io/docs/f8a49dd0
  

  
  

  Atlantis!
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  TonusOH

  Grandpa to the rescue! Thanks, Atlantis.

  Wait... what???

  
  
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  NotFormer

  Is a CSA suit "an accident"? 🙄😱

  "...lawsuits brought by persons upset over judicial actions" Was this common? Was it ever successful?
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  TonusOH

  I love that they realize how dishonest it is by putting quotes around the word "accident." It looks like a way to hide that info. I don't know of anyone who ever sued over a judicial action, but it must have happened (or been threatened) if they included it.

  It's just so blatant. Weren't there any elders who read that and realized how underhanded it sounds?
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  dropoffyourkeylee

  I am wondering why the WT doesn't use commercial insurance for their properties and make it work out to their benefit, in the same way they milk the insurance companies in their 'disaster relief'.

  Here's how they would do it:

  Get insurance locally for the KH

  A fire or other casualty damages the building

  The insurance company pays for the loss less any deductible, with the amount of the payment including both materials and labor

  The repairs/rebuilding are made with donated materials and labor

  WT pockets the money