WOULD THE WATCHTOWER ACCEPT A LARGE FINANCIAL BEQUEST FROM A DISFELLOWSHIPPED JW'S ESTATE?

by steve2 28 Replies latest jw friends

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  steve2

  I ransacked entire dusty volumes of Watchtowers in search of an answer to this vexing question. Imagine that a JW has been disfellowshipped for apostasy and had not subsequently change his/her will that bequeathed their wealthy estate to the Watchtower Society. Let's say that estate was worth millions. Or, say a JW who committed a sin of the flesh , was disfellowshipped and did not change their will intending to go back but was unrepentently still sinning at the time of death.

  Would the Watchtower accept such bequests?

  Anyone know of anything like this ever happening? Does the Watchtower have any policies on accepting bequests apart from, "Yes, wire the funds through right now!"
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  ziddina

  Hell yes...

  In a New York minute...

  [sorry for such a short answer...]

  But of course they'd have to pray about it first - and would turn the bequest down if it became too public - wouldn't want to stumble someone...
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  pontoon

  You bet!!! They would use that scripture and I forget just how it goes, but it has to do with serving Jeh with dishonest gain.
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  Hortensia

  you betcha! They don't turn down cash.
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  MidwichCuckoo

  Why not 'test the water' - I'm sure some brave soul can contact the WT and state they ''wish to leave their property to a charity - the WT being their first choice, because, although they were disfellowshipped 3 years ago for apostacy/something unforgivable, they would like to name the WT despite never intending to return and would this acceptable..?''
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  the-illuminator81

  Do you even have to ask? Of course they would.
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  dozy

  From a legal basis the Watchtower has to accept any bequests. If you are the trustees of (for example) a donkey sanctuary or a stray hedgehog charity , you have an obligation to the charity to accept the donation.
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  steve2

  Why not 'test the water' - I'm sure some brave soul can contact the WT and state they ''wish to leave their property to a charity - the WT being their first choice, because, although they were disfellowshipped 3 years ago for apostacy/something unforgivable, they would like to name the WT despite never intending to return and would this acceptable..?''

  Wow! That's an inspired way to find out. Any brave souls prepared to do that? I would but I'm known to the New Zealand/Australian branch office and they'd rightly smell a rat likely even whilst the phone was ringing and before answering the phone ...
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  steve2

  From a legal basis the Watchtower has to accept any bequests. If you are the trustees of (for example) a donkey sanctuary or a stray hedgehog charity , you have an obligation to the charity to accept the donation.

  Not so dozy! The trustee or executor's job is to inform beneficiaries that they are in the stated person's will. Beneficiaries are then free to either accept or decline. Of course, the overwhelming majority of beneficiaries are on the executor's doorstep quick speed. For those who decline the bequest, they must sign an official form that confirms the executor directly and clearly approached the beneficiary but they declined. Usually the funds are then divided up among the remaining beneficiairies unless the deceased specified some other outcome. Hopefully, someone else on this forum with a better legal mind than mine will be able to even provide the legal language that covers this eventuality.

  (BTW, a non-JW acquaintance of my family was bequeathed a sum of money by her deceased father who had molested her as a child. She refused the bequest but had to sign a document stating that the executor had informed her of the bequest but she had refused. This was the example that got me thinknig about whether the Watchtower would refuse a bequest from an apostate. But as other posters robustly answered, they'd most likely take the money).
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  punkofnice

  Considering they accepted shares in RandCam and are weedling laundered money from Philip Morris Tobacco...................