The world of Big Brother
Following is an email from LD Shannon of Peyton, Colorado. I think it’s a glimpse into a world into which America is now going — a world in which Big Government bureaucrats control everything. I’m glad BHM was helpful in this case.
We are recent subscribers & now ardent fans! The advice in Backwoods has, literally, saved our lives as we had a major shock hit us this week.
We received a letter from the State of Absurdity (names changed to protect the guilty) that they had placed liens on all of our accounts because we had not paid enough in taxes to the tune of $81,000. Problem is – we have not lived in that state for four years and their information was flat dead wrong!
Correcting faulty information would be simple enough … if a ‘police’ state followed due process and had actually NOTIFIED us prior to these illegal seizures. We had NEVER heard a peep from these bureaucrats before in our lives!
I am a disabled vet and have days where I can barely get out of bed. We have four children, one a son with down syndrome who requires plenty of extra care, ie, we have enough on our plate without this brand of bs dropping out of the sky!
Now comes the good part.
After our initial shock, after our calling these nut-cases in the state of absurdity with no success at all in explaining their irrationality, well … after all that my wife and myself looked at each other and began to laugh!
That is because we have built a heck of a pantry to feed our family. We have chickens laying near a dozen eggs a day. I am pretty handy with a rifle and have put down a deer and in the next few weeks expect to harvest a buffalo and two elk. We have gallons of homemade wine. And finally, and most importantly, we have cash. Not in the bank … cash in hand!
We’ll straighten out the nut-cases. And yes, we’ll probably have to pay some lawyer to prove our innocence and never get an apology or that fee refunded when we prove them wrong.
But because we have read and followed the great advice from all of you at BHM we have the best sleep-at-night insurance one can buy – self reliance!
This illegal seizure of property is a sign of the times, Dave. The Federal government created this mess and is now taxing the bejesus out of us all to try and bail out a sinking ship. State Governments are feeling the trickle down choke and are deciding to take it out on the citizenry. And this is just the beginning of this g## damn mess.
Thank you for showing the way, Dave … thank you and all your writers and staff for helping all of us build our ‘ark’ so we can survive and thrive these coming bad times.
God bless you and all the staff of BHM, Dave.
LD Shannon
Peyton, CO
October 13th, 2008 at 9:07 am
We were faced with a situation much like yours many years ago. I thought I would die when I opened the letter – could not believe it! But, we started writing letters and making phone calls. Many months later things were decided in our favor. I keep a full pantry and yes, many of us owe a special thanks to the Backwoods Home family. Just said a prayer for you all. Good luck to the Shannons.
October 13th, 2008 at 11:27 am
My sympothy for those folks, I had a similar proglem, net nearly as bad though. But I do know how difficult it is to deal with the government. Mine was I underpaid my 1999 taxes by $210, four years later they sent me a bill for $1400 in penalty and late fees, by the time I was able to pay the debt off, I paid close to $2200, and come to find out after having all my taxes redone by somebody who knew what they were doing, I found out my taxes were done wrong and I had overpaid that year by almost $3000, but could do nothing about it ’cause of a three year rule, but thats our gov. looking out for the small guy(just to make sure they did not miss screwing them) I suggest that you check with your local veterans affairs offic, they could have a way to help you, being disabled.
October 13th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Thank you all for your kind thoughts & prayers! I believe things will get much worse before they get better in our country. Folks that read BWH will be so much better off and prepared for any kind of craziness that is likely coming our way. I may be disabled now but I will NEVER be a victim and thus totally embrace the philosophy of BWH. God Bless – D & Beth Shannon
October 14th, 2008 at 9:23 am
I had something similar, thanks to the RealID act. New Jersey claimed I once lived there and had an outstanding ticket. No new drivers license for you! The DMV drones were too lazy to verify my social security number, so hundreds of dollars in lawyers fees later, NJ dropped the case and I got my shiny new “papieren”. True bastards.
Now, unrelated, my wife is being threatened with jail time for failing to do jury duty. A year after we moved to a different state.
I was lucky. I never had any problems in this country until the government got involved.
October 27th, 2008 at 10:40 am
Re L.D. Shannon comment:
“And yes, we’ll probably have to pay some lawyer to prove our innocence . . .”
Remember, innocence is your natural state of being until you are “Proven guilty” of something you have done that either damages some other person or property (malum in se) or is a breach or dishonor of a contract subject to the Uniform Commercial Code (Malum prohibitum) . You can never prove innocence, as such attempt is to try to prove a “Negative,” can’t be done. Also, using a lawyer to deal with any tax issue, is traversing into the enemy camp and exposing your underbelly for prompt gutting and hanging out to dry. All BAR card carrying lawyers (Attorns.) and that’s the only kind, are members of the court of the forum, (administrative mercantile tribunals) and their first duty is to that legislative court . . . BAR = British Accreditation Registry . . . Foreign Agents on this land, inviting you to enter/traverse into their web of deceit.
If you’re going to address this issue, you’re going to have to search the web (Google) and begin to grasp the necessary processes noted and available, regarding how to deal with these administrative privateers/pirates/private contractors. This is a long rough road for the neophyte and it’s littered with good intentions and destroyed optimism . . . if however, you have the tenacity and good sense of discernment . . . and learn to enjoy the contest, we need more of you like that . . . welcome to the belly of the beast and above all be cool and be courteous, they love it when you lose your composure. Might want to begin by reading “The Art of War”, wisdom is your greatest weapon.
Ex Green Beret circa 54-59
October 30th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
We left California a dozen years ago and moved to Texas. Knowing of the unbridled greed of the state of California we took steps to CYA immediately. We notified the State of Texas that it was our intent to become Texas residents. The States Attorney sent us a draft welcoming us as new residents and certifying us as such.
Sure enough ten years later we got notice that we had been Californicated. We had kept a California bank account for convenience sake and the California nazis decided they wanted some of our money more than I did. So they just took it claiming that we hadn’t filed state income tax which was true. We didn’t have to.
After a long time on long distance phone we got someone who was able to make a decision without passing the buck. We told him that we were certified Texas residents and had been for many years and had the paperwork to prove it. He said fax a copy to him. We did. Next day we called and he said he would send the money back.
Six weeks later we got a check. They took the money without asking which left us embarrased at the bank. We were also stuck with the cost of long distance calls, faxes and they had the use of our money for a total of seven weeks.
Anyone who moves to another state night do well to get that piece of paper from the states attorney.
November 1st, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Yes the great state of Kalifornia. I was stationed there for three years. Those in the military can chose not to be a resident of Kalfornia if we chose. I was a resident of Florida. Wife worked and we paid taxes on her income. Our last year there we left the state on 01 Apr taxes it did not have to be paid until 15 April. We went overseas and came back three years later and went to buy a house. Low and behold Kalifornia had put a tax lien on us for unpaid taxes.
Now no bank will give you a mortgage with a tax lien over your heads. Any tax records we had were in our household goods shipment coming from overseas. Even if we owed the money their own rules say those in the military have 180 days after their return to file any returns due after we left. Idiot contract worker at their tax office told me I had to be in a combat zone and I read their rules to her and she still insisted we owed it. The letters they send out also are stamped DO NOT FORWARD we had an active forwarding address at the post office so could have cleared this up long before we returned.
I had no choice I had to pay it and pay extra to use a credit card because I had to get it paid right away to qualify for a mortgage. So I paid it and the next day the bank called the state and asked them about it they said yes it was paid but they would not update my credit report for three months. He got on the phone to one of the credit reporting agencies and actually got them to remove it from my record so I would qualify. Over a year later of phones calls we finally received a phone call from a lady who said we did not owe the money and I would receive it all back (no interest even though I was charged three years interest, tax was $890 and interest bought it up to over $3000). Never did get my charge for using a credit card money back and the other two credit agencies still have it on my credit report so the state never did update it like they said they would and it has been 5 years now.