FHLC Does A Bundy-like Takeover In Colorado

[The Observer]

The "public lands belong to me" movement has expressed itself in another bold landgrab a la Cliven/Ammon Bundy. This time it is being perpetrated by a group of people who were associated or related to the Warren Jeffs polygamy cult.

Described by the linked article as being survivors and/or relatives of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints group, they apparently have gotten into their heads that public lands really mean that anyone is welcome to use them as they see fit and that the government does not own them. So the people involved have started fencing in 1000 acres of federal land in western Colorado, just outside the city of Mancos. Calling themselves the Free Land Holders Committee, they are basing their claim on the Declaration of Independence and the Homestead Act of 1862.

For those not familiar with the Homestead Acts, these were legislation that was passed, in part, to oppose the expansion of slave plantations. The goal was to open millions of acres of federally-owned land to individual farmers who could obtain land cheaply in return for cultivating and thus block slavery (that it came at the expense of Native Americans losing more land was the downside of the bills). However, these homestead acts, for the most part, were ended by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. The last person to gain land under the formers acts was in 1979. So for the FLHCers to be claiming outlawed legislation allows them to do this is just more pseudolaw shenanigans.

The people of Mancos and the surrounding areas are aware of what has transpired and alerted the county sheriff's office to the takeover. Furthermore, some of the citizens are taking steps to confront the takeover and are planning to remove the fencing. Their concerns are with hiking, skiiing and biking trails being blocked as well as wildlife not being able to move over their customary routes. The anti-fence groups have asked the sheriff, Steve Nowlin of Montezuma County, to intervene, but he has declined to do so, stating that he is going to allow the courts to resolve the situation. Some memorable quotes from Sheriff Nowlin:

I don’t want any damage done to public land or private land. Let them work it out in court. That’s OK.

These folks are just like you and me. They’re normal people. They’re not any type of vigilantes or anything like that.

The situation seems fluid so its hard to say what is happening at the moment. The sheriff has been in negotations with the US Forest Service and the FLHC; he is claiming that FLHC has agreed to halt the fence construction until they get their day in court. The citizen groups are claiming that the work is continuing and that no lawsuit has been filed by FLHC. It is also reported that there are individuals who went up to the area where fencing was constructed and started removing it. Some of them were also reported as carrying side arms. No mention if any of the FLHC members are armed as well, but I would think its likely.

The spokesperson for FLHC is named Patrick Pipkin. He claims he had several relatives that were in the polygamy sect but that he never belonged to it. He has managed to come into ownership of land parcels that belonged to Warren Jeffs' in Colorado as well as South Dakota. It is not clear how many people are involved in FLHC but Pipkin claims, not believably, that there are thousands of members. A quote from Pipkin:

The Forest Service don’t own the land. It’s not in their name. It’s just managed by the Forest Service. I don’t think it’s mine. It’s the Free Land Holders Committee who has the jurisdiction and the authority.

But you know, Patrick, it just isn't that simple. Or correct.

[Pottapaug1938]

It's almost hilarious that these nutcases cite the Declaration of Independence as if it were a part of American law, when in fact it has no legal meaning whatsoever.

[wserra]

they apparently have gotten into their heads that public lands really mean that anyone is welcome to use them as they see fit

That's not just stupid, it's willfully stupid. No one who doesn't tie their shoes together every morning could possibly believe that. After all, courthouses (for just one of many possible examples) are public property, but you can't set up tents in the lobby. Justifying it by citing the Homestead Acts is just more willful ignorance. Even Wikipedia tells you that they haven't been good law in nearly 50 years (due to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act).

If the situation is as the sheriff sees it - a "civil matter" that should be "work[ed] out in court" - then people should start dumping their trash in his backyard. My guess is he wouldn't see that the same way.

[The Observer]

After all, courthouses (for just one of many possible examples) are public property, but you can't set up tents in the lobby.

That is an accurate analogy, but we have had instances where sovcits have taken the position and actions to occupy public buildings. Ammon and his posse occupied the HQ building at Malheur and I think there were instances in the UK where sovcit groups entered courthouses or government buildings for the purpose of seizure and/or occupation. So I think it is safe to say that some of these simpletons actually believe that public property can become theirs.

For the most part, though, most of these people are wanting raw or undeveloped land for free. They may be feeling that life and opportunity has passed them by and that they can never afford to own a home or a farm given their particular set of circumstances. The siren's lure being trumpeted by the likes of Ammon Bundy and other scammers gives them the motivation to believe anything that is said - just as long as it promises them the ability to get something valuable for nothing.

And landgrabbing has been a part of this country's history and culture - which I am not justifying. But it gives people the opportunity to rationalize their choice to steal from others. This is only going to get worse in the future. Its happening on a different front in places like urban cities where squatters are breaking and entering homes while the owners are away (or absentee) and then declaring that they now legally occupy the house and can't be evicted. Their viewpoint is that if the property is unoccupied for any reason, then they have a right to live in it cost free. These are not sovcits, per se, but their desire to own property without paying for it is not much different than the sovcits.

If the situation is as the sheriff sees it - a "civil matter" that should be "work[ed] out in court" - then people should start dumping their trash in his backyard. My guess is he wouldn't see that the same way.

This is the key problem that I am seeing with this situation. The sheriff obviously is not willing to put his hindend - and career - on the line. This is not a civil matter - especially when the possibility of guns are being injected into the situation. And why the US Forest Service is not taking more forceful actions than "negotiating" is troublesome.

[JamesVincent]

You can legally "occupy" BLM land in certain states, just not the way they are wanting. If memory serves Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and others allow you to camp most anywhere on BLM land for 14 days, after which you have to move to a different spot. I guess legally you could probably camp on Federal land indefinitely as long as you continually rotate where you are camping at. And not get caught doing stupid things.

[The Observer]

An update on the squatting FHLC group seems to indicate that an escalation of the activities has not happened. Other than some concerned citizens who did remove barbed wire. Sheriff Nowlin did nothing to interrupt them other than to ask them not to remove fence posts (apparently at least one person was photographed removing a post) and still explained it was a civil matter: "“I can't stop anything...It's not up to me to do anything. I'm just here to keep the peace and document. That's all be [sic] in a report to the Forest Service."

But Mr. Pipkin did produce a pseudolegal proclamation claiming the land in question for FHLC:

[The Observer]

Another article with more details regarding the activity over the last 3 days. Some of the money quotes:

We come in peace and honor. People are going to see it and understand. I know the bully tactics of what they are choosing to do. That ain’t who we are.

It looks like Patrick is channeling the Canadian scammer, Paraclete Belanger. Peace. Honor. Sincerity. Well, Patrick, I'm seeing it and I don't understand any of this as being legal. And despite your scorn of bullys, you are just using bully tactics by fencing in land.

Sheriff Nowlin's explaning how everyone has got it wrong about the FHLCers:

There’s no public access being denied...I’m just trying to head off all these people that have got themselves all wound up with false information.

"All these people" is Nowlin's desciptor for the citizens removing the barbed wire. It is a bit strange that he doesn't seem to see that the FHLCers might be the ones who got it all wrong.

Nowlin, representatives of the Forest Service and the Free Land Holders spent hours Wednesday trying to negotiate a settlement. The Free Land Holders agreed to suspend their fence-building to give the federal officials time to review the title claim, Forest Service spokesman Scott Owen said.

Review the title claim? What title claim? Does the USFS really think that there is the slightest chance that somehow 1400 acres of their land really does belong to squatters? I have no doubt that they spent hours trying to negotiate. The minute you start giving the least bit of credence to phony documents by entering into "negotiations", you will be there forever. if you doubt me, just see the next quote:

Pipkin said he wants the United States to send a diplomat to meet with the Free Land Holders because the sheriff and Forest Service cannot answer his questions.

[eric]

The spokesperson for FLHC is named Patrick Pipkin. He claims he had several relatives that were in the polygamy sect but that he never belonged to it. He has managed to come into ownership of land parcels that belonged to Warren Jeffs' in Colorado as well as South Dakota. (edited to remove)
But you know, Patrick, it just isn't that simple. Or correct.

Pipkin is purposely being a little bit coy about his membership. One thing that is notable about the FLDS (the polygamous group) is the number of different factions within it for legal, business, or church hierarchical reasons. Pipkin came into ownership of Jeff's properties as part of his association with the "United Effort Plan", a trust previously controlled by Jeff's FLDS.
Here's how it plays out in real life. In the little town of Bountiful B.C. For all intents and purposes the entire population is two competing factions of the FLDS - the James Oler group who agree with Jeffs except when it is legally convenient (something about child trafficking). The other group is run by Winston Blackmore who most of the time doesn't like Jeffs. A business ran by Winston was one of my customers (actually met the man). Little did I know that one aspect of that business, although controlled and operated by them, wasn't really theirs. In fact, to settle up accounts and get paid I had to go through the United Effort Plan which at that time was controlled by Jeffs' group in Utah. No, I never dealt with them again, more trouble than they were worth.

[The Observer]

One thing that is notable about the FLDS (the polygamous group) is the number of different factions within it for legal, business, or church hierarchical reasons. Pipkin came into ownership of Jeff's properties as part of his association with the "United Effort Plan", a trust previously controlled by Jeff's FLDS.

Yes, Warren Jeffs abused the UEP to gain control and indirect ownership of land and businesses in and around his town of Colorado City and the next-door (literally) city of Hildale across the border in Utah. He also used it to control the appointment of city officials, police and fire chiefs and elected officials.

The UEP was seized by the state of Utah 2 years before Jeff's arrest; the state ran it for a number of years before turning over to a number of victims and survivors of FLDS. The AP article, now behind a paywall implied that Pipkin somehow got included in the membership because of a lawsuit he filed against Jeffs and FLDS for discrimination he experienced while at the hands of FLDS in Hildale or Colorado City. How he has become spokesperson and pointman for the FHLC has not be answered. But he is part of an LLC with two other individuals that bought 60 acres owned by Jeffs near Mancos.

But my guess is that Pipkin is just another one of those Professor Hill types who can walk into a group of people and convince them that he is the only person who can save them from disaster that doesn't exist. And Pipkin also seems to be the person who always has some kind of answer to justify his claims. Yesterday he is being quoted as claiming that FHLC is entitled to claim the land due to the members being "...part of the tribe of..." Cherokees:

We were the habitants here before, we were here when the ships arrived on the East Coast. We didn't come from Europe. We're the habitants, and we're here, and we want people to be able to understand that and have recognition also that we're here in peace.

Pipkin isn't stopping there, either. He has plans to set up a "learning center" that will teach about "treaty law" and "patent law." This is at the moment where I have to think that Pipkin has discovered that he can make some money by charging people pseudolaw and send them out to do battle in the courtrooms after convincing them that they too can claim to be Native Americans and scoop up free land. But you have to wonder if Pipkin realizes that he has jumped the shark by claiming that the Treaty of Ghent, the 1783 Treaty of Paris and the Articles of Confederation give FHLC the right to claim government land.

All of this suggests Pipkin needs to be watched closely by law enforcement in Colorado.

[Edit: Corrected some grammatical errors]

[The Observer]

But he is part of an LLC with two other individuals that bought 60 acres owned by Jeffs near Mancos.

This article did some digging on Pipkin and his LLC back in 2023.

It turns out that the LLC purchased the Warren Jeff parcels at an auction for $750,000 but paid no actual money for the land since the group had a $2 million judgment against FLDS. The previous articles that stated that Pipkin was never a member of FLDS is contradicted here; Pipkin is reported as having told the reporter that he was member but left 15 years ago. He and the other two members now in LLC had legally leased some land from UEP, but ran afoul of Jeffs and were arrested for trespassing - despite the county sheriff's office advising UEP that Pipkin and company had a legal right to be there and they should not be arrested. Thus the origin of the discrimination suit against UEP. A copy of the complaint filed by the LLC and the individuals is available in the article.

Also, the land is 140 acres, not 60 and are not close to Mancos as reported by the other articles but about 15 miles southwest of Pringle, South Dakota. My confusion originally thought that the 60 acres near Mancos was what the article was addressing. So the question still remains how Blue Mountain LLC also obtained the Mancos parcels.

There are also some interesting photos and maps of what is currently erected on the land site. There are a number of buildings of different sizes. Some appear to be individual family homes as well as a couple of buildings that could be used for agricultural/commerical purposes. Some of the land appears to be used for farming but not much to warrant describing it as a productive farm or ranch. There a quite a number of vehicles ranging from personal cars and trucks to large commerical vehicles or equipment. Some appear to be junkers. It gives the impression of some type of half-heartedly worked commune, and, in a eerie reminder of Ed Brown, has the obligatory watchtower.

[Edit: Had to correct some errors of property identification that was conflating two separate parcels as one]

[HardyW]

All of this suggests Pipkin needs to be watched closely by law enforcement in Colorado.

[Edit: Corrected some grammatical errors]

Maybe there's a geographical error too? Although I am a mere British person, I did notice that none of the matters under discussion seem to involve Colorado. Although some relation to a place called Colorado City, Arizona.

[The Observer]

Maybe there's a geographical error too?

No. The landgrab is happening near Mancos, Colorado. The backstory on the FLDS polygamy and rape of minors happened in Colorado City, Arizona. Sorry if I confused anyone.

[eric]

And I guess I didn't help either by drifting off into the FLDS types up here in Canada, for which I must apologize. And yes, the Oler group up here were involved in Jeffs' shenanigans with minors since some of the young women were driven down from Canada. The Blackmore faction wasn't involved since old Winston kept them for himself.

[The Observer]

The Denver Post has done an update on the situation in Mancos. In fact, they conducted a 2 hour interview with Patrick Pipkin and gave him a chance to explain why he thinks his claim that the public lands belong to FHLC.

As is typical for pseudolaw adherents, Patrick spread quite a few documents over several tables; these documents purportedly provide a chain of evidence proving - well, nothing - to be precise. Pipkin has gotten himself all wrapped up over whether "the" United States is a different country than "The" United States. Patrick believes that "The United States" was the original entity that was set up originally under the Articles of Confederation. But then some evil king of England somehow tricked that entity into signing a document as "the United States" and voila! a separate entity was created - a separate entity that has been running for over 200 years, fought several wars, signed treaties and alliances, has the largest economy on the planet, yet no one has noticed this glaring error during that time.

Well, except for Patrick. He has done considerable - for a sovrun, that is - research in establishing the facts as he sees them. He has chased it down by wading through the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Louisiana Purchase Treaty, and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hildago; why Mexico was signing a peace treaty with a phony and illegal entity was not explained. What was explained was Patrick's theory:

It’s not the same name,” Pipkin said during an interview on his property last week. “Totally different. That’s why the sheriff has no jurisdiction. That’s why the Forest Service has no jurisdiction. They work for the small ‘t,’ which is the king today. King Charles.

Again no explanation as to why the Forest Service hasn't noticed it is working for the wrong government. As for Sheriff Nowlin, it would appear based on his earlier statements that he is not that strong on basic legal issues, so I don't think it would be likely that he would recognize if was working for a legal entity or not.

Pipkin doesn't explain where the real United States government is. But he definitely knows that it must exist since a man deeded the land that FHLC is squatting on to "The" United States country in 1927. But that doesn't explain why Pipkin thinks FHLC can claim to own land that was given to his pretend entity. The Post reporter apparently pushed on this point and Patrick was more than happy to oblige. He pointed the following "facts":

(1) He was in a culture that was steeped in polygamy. When Utah outlawed polygamy in order to gain statehood, Patrick's ancestors did not agree and remained in "The United States Republic" and so were able to continue practicing polygamy.

(2) Patrick claims to have 5 mothers (and 37 siblings). But he claims he was not born. As he explains it,

I was created from the trunk of my mother and I landed on a land patent right here on these boundaries of the Guadalupe treaty...

As such, like some other children born into polygamy, Patrick claims to not have a birth certificate. If he were to request an issuance of a birth certificate, that would put him under the control of "the" United States. So obviously he will not make that mistake.

(3) Pipkin uses for identification a document that he calls a "land patent." The reporter stated it looked like a quitclaim deed that was signed by a governor of Utah. He says that this document gives him "standing." But he won't record this document with the local recorder's office since that office - you guessed it - is part of the small "t" government and he would lose his "standing."

I lose my standing as being grounded. I’m now anchored. I’m not out there floating as a ward of the state or lost at sea and so I don’t need an attorney or an esquire to represent me or speak for me because I speak my own language. I vibrate my own chakra of my throat. I don’t need to speak the English language.

I get the feeling that Pipkin is channeling some of the Chief Rock Sino mantra from a few years back. Magic words, magic incantations, and magic language that you have to know how to voice correctly to avoid coming under the spell of the evil spirit government.

(4) Pipkin denies that he is a member of the sovereign citizen movement. His buddy, who shares Pipkin's theories, said this however:

I’m a living man in The United States of America Republic,” Hammon said. The United States Republic is a sovereign nation and I’m a living man in this nation.

That verbiage smacks of sovrun tomfoolery from the get go. Especially since Pipkin is basically claiming that because he is not a citizen of the the small "t" country, he is legally allowed to claim land that belongs to the non-existent large "T" government. What he has done is essentially used a variation of the old sovcit argument that a name spelled in all capitals has created a straw person that has taken your place. In this instance, Pipkin is essentially claiming that the US government is a straw government to which he is not legally a citizen and doesn't have to follow its laws. Some of this is also borrowed from old tax protester arguments which oldtime Quatloosians will readily recognize.

The Forest Service is still on the fence (pun intended) about whether to enforce against FHLC's trespassing. It appears the local citizen group has removed the barbed wire, despite Sheriff Nowlin's request to not do so. so perhaps the USFS is hoping that this will all die down and they avoid being embarrassed like BLM was by the Bundys.

[morrand]

I lose my standing as being grounded. I’m now anchored. I’m not out there floating as a ward of the state or lost at sea and so I don’t need an attorney or an esquire to represent me or speak for me because I speak my own language. I vibrate my own chakra of my throat. I don’t need to speak the English language.

I get the feeling that Pipkin is channeling some of the Chief Rock Sino mantra from a few years back. Magic words, magic incantations, and magic language that you have to know how to voice correctly to avoid coming under the spell of the evil spirit government.

Yes, though the “ward of the state” stuff points squarely to the cestui que vie line of theory, doesn’t it? Interesting blend, there.

[The Observer]

Two more articles have emerged that I overlooked. Although they report much the same things that has been mentioned before, there are some new twists to this story.

In the Independent Pipkin is quoted as saying that he has been contending with the US Forest Service for 6 years or so over the ownership of the land. If Pipkin isn't lying about this, it means that the USFS has been aware about FHLC and/or Pipkin's claims and seemed unprepared to deal with the situation at hand. There is mention that the state Supreme Court will be involved in resolving the situation, but I would think that the jurisdictional issue over federal property would have to be resolved in federal courts, not in a state court. IANAL so I could very be well wrong.

But the local government is getting fed up with how Sheriff Nowlin and the USFS has been handling the situation with their hands-off approach. The county commisioner, one Gerald Koppenhafer is quoted as saying:

The Forest Service is pathetic, and so is our sheriff, as far as I’m concerned. They have no right to destroy grazing rights and land.

Koppenhafer was reported to have met the FHLCers at the fence line.

The second article from the Daily Mail is much a repeat of what has been posted here before, but I missed this little twist on Pipkin's pseudolegal claims. He is also reported as saying that the membership of the FHLC are "part of the tribe of the Cherokee" and their land rights have not been respected.

We were the habitants here before, we were here when the ships arrived on the East Coast. We didn't come from Europe,' Pipkin said. 'We're the habitants, and we're here, and we want people to be able to understand that and have recognition also that we're here in peace.'

He also claimed that FHLC is going to build a "learning center" where they can teach people about "treaty law and patent law." And Pipkin stated he is calling on the US State Department to send an ambassador to negotiate the dispute. Although Pipkin maintains that FHLC is not a sovereign citizen group, these quotes certainly show that he has been influenced by sovcit doctrine. Enough to the point that it appears that he believes that he and his group should be treated as a separate nation.