FLDS told to pay taxes or else

By Ben Winslow Deseret Morning News

The man appointed by the courts to oversee the Fundamentalist LDS Church's financial empire has compiled a list of the polygamist group's top leaders targeted for possible eviction — if they don't pay their property taxes. The Deseret Morning News has obtained a copy of the list drafted for Bruce Wisan, the court-appointed special fiduciary of the United Effort Plan (UEP) Trust. It includes more than 70 entries of names and addresses of prominent members of the polygamous border communities of Hildale, Washington County, and Colorado City, Ariz. Partially handwritten and partially typewritten, it names the top people in the FLDS Church and a brief dossier on each one. Some are the most loyal of FLDS leader Warren Jeffs' men. They rank high in the polygamist church's priesthood and are close to the fugitive prophet. The list also names people who have built enormous fences around their homes to keep prying eyes out. "Whomever is living in Jim Allred's old compound with it's huge fences," the list says. "Whomever is living at 740 across from Marilyn Holms old place. They have huge walls." A source provided the list to the Deseret Morning News shortly after an April town hall meeting in Hildale to urge people in the polygamous border towns to pay their property taxes. If not, eviction from UEP land is a possibility. In 2005, a Utah judge froze the assets of the UEP Trust, which controls homes, businesses and property in the polygamous towns of Hildale and Colorado City. Wisan was put in charge of the finances. The assets are estimated at more than $110 million. "This is only one part of information that I'm receiving," Wisan said of the list on Friday. "I'm getting information from other sources. Lists and names to help in making decisions." Wisan said he is using a couple of lists to come up with names to send letters requesting payment of property taxes. The first 12 received letters this past week. Letters were not only sent through regular mail, but also sent certified mail and hand-delivered, said Jeffrey L. Shields, the lawyer for the special fiduciary. "We're picking the bigger houses and the people that owe more taxes," he said Friday. Among those receiving letters: Seth Jeffs, the brother of fugitive FLDS leader Warren Jeffs. He pleaded guilty on Monday to a federal charge of harboring a fugitive, accused of being a courier of money used to keep Warren Jeffs on the run. Alvin Barlow, the former superintendent of the Colorado City Unified School District. The list obtained by the Deseret Morning News described him as "the last Barlow of any consequence left and was given Leroy Jeffs' (Warren's brother) mansion after he was kicked out." D. Robert Barlow, who is currently facing charges in Arizona related to a polygamous marriage to a teenage girl. Colorado City mayor pro tem Terrill Johnson, who was appointed to take over after Richard Allred abruptly and mysteriously quit. "We think the mayor ought to pay it," Shields said of Johnson, who was sent a letter this week. If they do not pay property taxes on their homes by May 12, a notice to quit may be filed with the courts, which says they have five days to pay property taxes or get out. "I'd love to see everybody pay their property taxes," Wisan said. He has been facing an uphill battle trying to get members of the Hildale and Colorado City communities to listen to him. Recently, property taxes were paid on a compound being occupied by Lyle Jeffs, a younger brother of Warren Jeffs and presumably the FLDS Church's acting bishop. Wisan said FLDS members still did not know $14,000 was paid for Lyle Jeffs' property. In the letters sent to the dozen names during the past week, Shields made them aware of Lyle Jeffs' actions. "Before expiration of the five-day deadline set forth in that letter, property taxes for the Louis Barlow compound (and all other property on that same tax parcel) were paid in full to the Washington County treasurer," the letter reads. "You may elect to follow the same procedure." Shields said he hopes some will see what Lyle Jeffs did and follow suit. However, no one sees the property taxes being paid by FLDS faithful anytime soon. Warren Jeffs has reportedly told his followers not to pay the taxes. "I'm hopeful that everyone will pay their property taxes and there will not be strife in the community," Wisan said. "Right now it appears that they still have not received an edict or mandate to pay their property taxes." On Friday, four people began moving into homes in Hildale and Colorado City. They were reportedly booted out of their homes by Warren Jeffs, who let others move in. They petitioned Wisan to let them back in, have signed occupancy agreements and are willing to pay property taxes. "I've been receiving a lot of letters of people asking about the possibility of moving in," he said.

Deseret Morning News graphic

E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com

deseretnews.com Originally published Sunday, May 7, 2006

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