Wisan says arrest may change ways
 
By Rachel Tueller
rtueller@thespectrum.com
Garrett Davis/ The Spectrum
Alvin Barlow

Former superintendant of the Colorado City Unified School District #14 Alvin Barlow, second from right, visits with other members of the community in Colorado City, Ariz. Tuesday.
 
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The United Effort Plan is the financial arm of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It primarily consists of property in Hildale, Utah, Colorado City, Ariz., and British Columbia.

The trust's main function was to collect money and pay taxes. However, the FLDS church's fugitive leader, Warren Jeffs, is believed to have used the trust as a bargaining chip with his followers. If they didn't follow his teachings, because the church owns the property, Jeffs was known to evict the tenants - even if they had built the home themselves.

In 2005, a 3rd District Court judge in Utah disbanded the trustees and appointed a special fiduciary to oversee the trust, which has an estimated value of $100 million.

The revised trust, under the new leadership, is charged with ensuring housing for FLDS members, as well as providing education, food and clothing.

Under the new leadership, property taxes have been paid, and steps have been taken to allow people to reside in their homes free from eviction as long as all payments are made.

Bruce Wisan, special fiduciary to the United Effort Plan Trust, the financial arm of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, will be the first speaker at the Dixie State College Center for Business Integrity's fall Business Forum. Thursday's forum will begin at noon in room 121 in the Udvar-Hazy Business Building on the Dixie State College Campus.

ST. GEORGE - The arrest of polygamist group leader Warren Jeffs, who heads the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, will not change the scope of Bruce Wisan's work as the court-appointed special fiduciary who oversees the United Effort Plan, the financial arm of the FLDS church.

"I think that next year when November rolls around I'll have to go back around and post everybody's houses," said Wisan during a phone interview Tuesday morning.

Less than two months ago, the final property taxes due for 2005 were received from the residents of Colorado City, Ariz. and Hildale, Utah. Wisan had made several attempts to collect the property taxes and finally posted five-day eviction warnings on the homes and gates of leaders and members of the FLDS church.

"I tried all different kinds of ways to communicate - when I posted those notices, especially on the leaders' houses, they started to pay," Wisan said.

And while Wisan is hopeful the residents of the two communities will change their philosophy based on recent events, including Jeffs' arrest, he still anticipates varied reaction.

"Down the road there may be some recognition that things are changing," Wisan said. "If the prophet's in jail (and) there are some issues with the police department - a lot of things are happening in the community - after a while you'd think people would come to a realization that they'll have to change their thinking a little bit."

But Wisan and attorney Jeffrey Shields will continue investigating the group's assets, including businesses and properties such as Harker Farms, which has several different possible property locations, including one in Beryl, Utah.

"We're looking at some of the business relationships to see if there's any UEP interest or ownership in any of the businesses," Wisan said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Shields was in Denver meeting with church attorneys and reviewing documents police seized when Seth Jeffs, Warren Jeffs' brother, was arrested. Wisan believes the documents might contain information linking businesses and the FLDS church.
 
TheSpectrum.com
Originally published August 30, 2006
 
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