DMVP in the news

[JamesVincent]

We went through a lot of the same kind of issues with the castle near where I grew up in WV. Berkeley Castle was built as a wedding present to woo a young lady. When the original owners went bankrupt it went through a bunch of hands and ended up being bought by the state and run for awhile for tourists. They had to change whole areas of it to meet ADA policies and some areas were never opened. Today it only has private tours and someone actually lives in it again, I believe.

http://www.berkeleyspringscastle.org/ca ... story.html

[LPC]

There there is Boldt Castle, which I remember visiting about 50 years ago, and seems to have been improved considerable since then (I remember a lot of dirt floors and bare rooms).

[grixit]

Unfortunately, whatever he does, David has one major ace up his sleeve: It has been determined that he is mentally unfit to stand trial.

Thus, unless he perpetrates a major felony causing physical harm to someone, it is likely that he will simply ealk away from any minor criminal proceedings or civil actions.

Jailing him will accomplish absolutely nothing (other than providing free room and board).

Instead, there should be some way of quarantining him to stop him from spreading his infections to others.

Well there is that group signing up people to found a colony on Mars.

[ArthurWankspittle]

Unfortunately, whatever he does, David has one major ace up his sleeve: It has been determined that he is mentally unfit to stand trial.

Thus, unless he perpetrates a major felony causing physical harm to someone, it is likely that he will simply ealk away from any minor criminal proceedings or civil actions.

Jailing him will accomplish absolutely nothing (other than providing free room and board).

Instead, there should be some way of quarantining him to stop him from spreading his infections to others.

Well there is that group signing up people to found a colony on Mars.

To misquote HHGTTG:
"If you're so clever then, you tell us what color a wheel should be."

[The Observer]

Well there is that group signing up people to found a colony on Mars.

Not sure that the rest of our solar system, let alone interstellar space should be exposed to Terra's crazies. After all, what did outer space ever do to us to deserve that?

[LPC]

I did some research, and found the following:

1. "Bishop Castle" is the name of a nonprofit corporation formed in Colorado in 1983 by James R. Bishop and Phoebe M. Bishop.

2. The articles of incorporation were amended in 1984 in a way that would allow the corporation to qualify as a charitable, religious, or educational organization exempt from tax under IRC section 501(c )(3).

3. A search of the IRS on-line list of charitable organizations does not turn up any organization named Bishop Castle, so it looks like the Bishops never actually applied for exempt status.

4. Bishop Castle is also not found in the on-line list of organizations that have registered under the Colorado Charitable Solicitation Act. (Which might not have been necessary if the Bishops were not doing any active fundraising.)

Everyone has talked about the transfer of the property as though it was a transfer by the Bishops to DMVP as trustee. But my understanding is that the transfer was by the nonprofit corporation to DMVP. But can a nonprofit corporation set up for charitable purposes do that? Can it suddenly transfer its primary asset to a trust (or person) for what might be noncharitable purposes?

And, if the transfer to DMVP was not for noncharitable purposes, then what was the point? If the goal was to preserve the property for public use, what was wrong with leaving it in the perpetual nonprofit corporation? Why make a switch now?

I think that there are a lot of questions here, that the past and present goals of the Bishops are not clear, and any litigation between the Bishops and DMVP could get very messy and very complicated.

[notorial dissent]

FWIW, Jim Bishop was and is a sovcit crank. He has been at war in one way or another with just about every gov't entity in his part of the state for as long as he's been at this. At one point he tried to secede from the county, or something to that effect and published all sorts of sovcit paper to prove it. All of it roundly and soundly ignored.

He did build the castle, mainly by dint of his own, and volunteer, efforts, and has been at it for about thirty odd years, and it is an interesting work of one man's art in a very pretty mountain setting. I know that for several years he and the county building code dept were at odds, and the secession thing happened over property taxes which he felt he shouldn't have to pay, so I suspect that is where the non-profit corp came from, that he didn't actually follow through and get real non-profit status doesn't surprise me either as he was never big on following anyone's but his rules. I don't know what actually happened with the zoning issues, but I suspect that the county got tired of fighting with him and quit. He lives in a very rural sparsely settled part of one of the poorer counties of the state and they have limited funds to expend, so I suspect they decided it wasn't worth the effort. The natives down there are known for being "individualists", and let's just leave it at that.

The take I got from some articles sent me were that Bishop who is now elderly and very ill got suckered in to putting Merrill, who we know from previous posts of his was an old sovcit stomping buddy, on the castle board, and from there his megalomania took over. I am quite sure that in order to straighten this out they will end up in court, and I don't predict a happy time for all. I can't imagine it turning out well for anyone. The courts down there tend to not be as forbearing as the El Paso courts.

[The Observer]

I am quite sure that in order to straighten this out they will end up in court, and I don't predict a happy time for all.

Well, David will consider it a happy event for him. It will give him the opportunity of being center stage and dissembling on his particular interpretations of the law, even if it means getting tossed out of the courtroom from an annoyed judge. He will see it as another chance to get attention from the media and to drive traffic up at his website. And he will get more time to visit his evidence repository and to pretend the court clerk works for him.

He probably will lose the property, more because of his antics and idiocy, but the real thing that matters here to David is that the attention - even negative attention - is better than ending up with control over an asset.

[notorial dissent]

Regrettably, I think you are right in all too many directions. Bishop will be the ultimate loser I fear.

[jcolvin2]

I did some research, and found the following:

1. "Bishop Castle" is the name of a nonprofit corporation formed in Colorado in 1983 by James R. Bishop and Phoebe M. Bishop.

2. The articles of incorporation were amended in 1984 in a way that would allow the corporation to qualify as a charitable, religious, or educational organization exempt from tax under IRC section 501(c )(3).

3. A search of the IRS on-line list of charitable organizations does not turn up any organization named Bishop Castle, so it looks like the Bishops never actually applied for exempt status.

4. Bishop Castle is also not found in the on-line list of organizations that have registered under the Colorado Charitable Solicitation Act. (Which might not have been necessary if the Bishops were not doing any active fundraising.)
.

Bishop Castle is on the IRS on-line list of charitable organizations that had their status revoked a couple of years ago for failure to file Forms 990:

Revocation Date (effective date on which organization's tax exemption was automatically revoked):
15-May-2013
Employer Identification Number (EIN):
74-2304427
Legal Name:
BISHOP CASTLE

Doing Business As:

Mailing Address:
1529 CLAREMONT AVE
PUEBLO, CO 81004-3011
United States
Exemption Type:
501(c)(3)
Revocation Posting Date (date on which IRS posted notice of automatic revocation on IRS.gov):
12-Aug-2013
Exemption Reinstatement Date (effective date of tax exemption, determined by the IRS
after the organization's exemption was automatically revoked and the organization applied for reinstatement of exemption.):

[Gregg]

So, maybe it ends up on the auction block for unpaid taxes at some level? Can you imagine being the buyer of a property that David felt was his, if they gave it to you, you could spend untold amounts beating back the flurry of stupid I'd imagine would follow.

[grixit]

be funny if the property were auctioned off to someone who then reorganized it as a legitimate non profit as well as bringing it into full compliance so that ti could continue to be a tourist attraction.

[LPC]

Bishop Castle is on the IRS on-line list of charitable organizations that had their status revoked a couple of years ago for failure to file Forms 990:

Good catch. Thanks, I didn't think to look there.

So the Bishops did file an application for exempt status, it was granted, and then it was revoked for failing to file the annual information returns, Form 990.

But the revocation notice doesn't say whether it was a public charity or a private foundation, which makes a difference (I think), because if it was a private foundation, had its exemption revoked, and then engaged in acts of self-dealing (such as transferring assets to a trust for the personal benefit of the foundation managers or substantial contributors), there could be significant penalty taxes imposed.

You would think that there would be similar problems if it was a public charity that lost its exempt status and then engaged in acts of self-dealing, but my recollection is that the law is not as clear on that.

[bmxninja357]

Despite my well known distaste for dave and my not ever being a member of his forum I found this rubbish in my inbox today....

Hello Saving to Suitors Club Members;


A great deal of effort and time have been put into producing a wonderful new website where students can learn comprehensive lessons through multiple teaching techniques and media, about how to apply Lawful Money redemption and also how to apply Trust Law and trust structures to protect assets and privacy of your estate.

Please click here for an introduction to the new Lawful Money Trust website:

www.lawfulmoneytrust.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIjMwGC1730

Spam-a-lot is the kingdom of merril

Peace
ninj

[The Observer]

A great deal of effort and time have been put into producing a wonderful new website where students can learn comprehensive lessons through multiple teaching techniques and media, about how to apply Lawful Money redemption and also how to apply Trust Law and trust structures to protect assets and privacy of your estate, so that your assets and estate will end up in my hands.

FIFY, David.

[notorial dissent]

Got it in one!!

[Pottapaug1938]

It's bad enough for someone to be Saving-to-Suitors-level stupid; but paying $197 per year for Gold-level membership in this new site... wow.

[Judge Roy Bean]

FYI - the site host needs to be made aware of the fraud being perpetrated. Almost every hosting site TOS bars the use of their services for those kinds of scams.

[AndyK]

Site reported as violating host's user agreement in terms of promoting illegal activity.

Thank you for your submission
We will investigate this inquiry based upon the information you have provided.

If you have any questions regarding the status of your submission, please contact Web.com at 1-800-932-4678

[LPC]

Turns out that the story of the Garden of Eden in Genesis is a not a metaphor for sex or sin, but a metaphor for the English common law of trusts that developed in the 14th century, two or three millennia after Genesis was written.

The Test Have you considered how subtle the Trust is? Consider the Serpent in the Garden. Adam and Eve had been granted the Use of Property established by God. Notice that God even formed their Body, Soul and Spirit. Therefore God owned the Property. Adam and Eve did not own the Property! The only aspect […]

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