Ramapo denies Jehovah's Witnesses tax exemption (page 3)

purplesofa

Literacy classes conducted in hundreds of Kingdom Halls throughout Brazil have already helped more than 22,000 adults in that country to learn to read and write.

Is this open to the public?

carla

Could someone bring the C of C book to learn to read from?

Let's hope that there is a legal loophole which there very well may be - that gives power to the county, city and/or State individually. In this way, they may be able to request proof of what the society is going to do directly in aid of the community and how. Questions need to be asked once they say they will do something - such as whether or not they society is willing to engage in such service for the good of all the community and not just the members. If it is a membership only club and not open to the public, then it should be considered taxable just as golf clubs or country clubs pay taxes and restrict membership.

The society shuns the world and contact with the people in the world who they consider of satan...thus it seems somehow highly unlikely that they will open their doors up to charity for the unwashed masses.

sammieswife.

jamiebowers

I read elsewhere that the WB&TS will probably make a large donation to the local fire department, so they'll probably be able to get the zoning changed and become tax exempt.

It's a shame, because they don't contribute a whole lot to the community, and I've heard several stories from sisters with small children who were abandonded or abused by their husbands, and the elders referred them to the likes of Catholic Charities and the Salvation Army for assistance, NOT the local congrgation of Jehovah's Witnesses.

rebel8

The only things I've ever heard of dubs doing for non-dubs all involve recruitment.

Literacy classes using their own litter-ature, and reporting them as studies on their monthly reports.

Comforting disaster victims by witnessing to them.

etc.

There is no altruistic do-good'ing going on, with no strings attached, AFAIK.

But none of that matters for tax purposes in the US.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

"Permitted uses include active-adult residential development, housing for people with disabilities, nursing homes and assisted-living facilities."

Nursing homes, active-adult residential, assisted-living for the mentally disabled... sounds to me like the current zoning fits the bill for the Headquarters staff.

At Patterson, they were able to cruise in and scoup up a distress sale run-down farm property and wow the small-town officials with a tour of Wallkill. When they made a proposal to develop up at Kingdom Farm up at South Lansing, the locals were easily impressed with the possibility of any development in the middle-of-nowhere area. Which never materialized. I doubt that Ramapo will be so eager to lose the tax revenue in exchange for the privilege of getting a bunch of dub tourists... with no money to spend.

B the X

jwfacts

Why are they purchasing at Ramapo when it is an hour drive from Patterson. I thought they wanted to centralise everything at Patterson.

lrkr

They are sure to try and throw out the ususal carrots- we'll give you a fire truck, and pave a road for you. But (hopefully) Ramapo is a little more sophisticated than Lansing or Pine Bush/Wallkill or Patterson. The supervisor seems to be saying "Show me the money" (Lets see a specific offer). The usual bit of smoke and mirrors may not work so well.

besty

couple of points here:

1- $400k tax is a rounding error to the WTBTS

2 - they have successfully negotiated value in kind deals with other local government agencies to make the problem go away - http://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/18/realestate/in-the-region-putnam-county-watchtower-project-grows-in-patterson.html

3 - some great quotes on this thread:

"The jw's will not understand going door to door with their cult literature is NOT a contribution to society"

" If it's God's will that a church be charitable, then it will be - after taxes."

cameo-d

Actually, the acreage they are receiving is just short of 300 acres. The other 40 acres are a wildlife preserve.

Maybe they will negotiate a break for their efforts of "wildlife conservation" or some lame thing.

I am sure a few officials can be paid off and WT will get its way.

Ramapo denies Jehovah's Witnesses tax exemption