AP report from Drudge regarding TP standoff in Wisconsin

[The Observer]

Wis. Man in Standoff Over Unpaid Taxes
2 hours ago

VIOLA, Wis. (AP) — A landowner with "strong anti-government attitudes" barricaded himself in his rural home Thursday and fired shots at SWAT officers trying to search his home and arrest him, authorities said. No one was injured.

The dispute started Monday when Richland County sheriff's deputies tried to serve Robert Bayliss, 60, with a lawsuit seeking to evict him for failure to pay property taxes back to 2001 on his home and 18 acres, Richland county counsel Benjamin Southwick said.

The county took ownership of the land in November because of the unpaid taxes, Southwick said.

Rifle shots were fired at officers who went to the property Monday, said Darin Gudgeon, the Richland County emergency management director. On Thursday, SWAT officers used an armored vehicle to try to serve the search and arrest warrants but encountered shots and ended up in a standoff, Gudgeon said.

No one has been hurt, he said.

"We are still trying to open up lines of communication," Gudgeon said Thursday. The landowner was alone and had barricaded himself inside the home, he said.

Bayliss was known as "a person who had very strong anti-government attitudes and beliefs" and who would carry a rifle and show it, Southwick said.

He owes $5,647 in delinquent taxes and interest on the land and has not paid the taxes for seven years, according to the county treasurer's office.

Viola is a town of about 700 people 70 miles northwest of Madison.

In October, a New Hampshire property where two tax evaders holed up for months refusing to serve prison sentences was cleared of explosives and seized by the federal government. Ed and Elaine Brown are serving five years in prison.

[Nikki]

Just wait, all you naysayers.

In a few days, there'll be thousands of sovereign citizens at his house, putting up a stand against the oppressive corporate government.

This is just the moment they've been waiting for -- a chance to rally all their hundreds of thousands of oppressed 14th amendment citizens to stand up and start the second American revolution.

Give them a couple of weeks, and even Ned will have time to pedal his way up there.

Then again, it's still cold up there and there's no good barbecue within a hundred miles.


Never mind.

[Doktor Avalanche]

Here we go again. :angrybird:

Five grand?!? That's all he owes - five grand?!? Show of hands, please - how many of us can raise that kind of cash on a moment's notice?

[Dezcad]

Did they "show him the law"?

Maybe if they do, he'll surrender and pay.

[Imalawman]

Here we go again. :angrybird:

Five grand?!? That's all he owes - five grand?!? Show of hands, please - how many of us can raise that kind of cash on a moment's notice?

Its the principle of the thing. Sheesh, you just don't get it do you.

(and some of us haven't been out of law school for too many years and $5K is still a tidy sum of money - especially in gov't work. Still, if it meant losing my house, I could get it right away)

[Cobalt Shiva]

Here we go again. :angrybird:

Five grand?!? That's all he owes - five grand?!? Show of hands, please - how many of us can raise that kind of cash on a moment's notice?

Five grand? S***, I can get that together and in the payee's hands in about two minutes (one of which would be spent in conference with The Fetching Mrs. Cobalt Shiva to get concurrence).

[Leftcoaster]

Just as a point of comparison. The TP crowd in Canada are typically quite diligent about paying their property taxes. Property taxes are administered by the municipality, and sometimes the province. Municipalities in Canada have relatively limited powers of taxation, so they don't let unpaid property taxes slide for very long before they move to sell the property.

Also, long time lurker, first time contributor. Love the site

[webhick]

Also, long time lurker, first time contributor. Love the site

Welcome to the forum! Now, if you'll turn away for just a moment, I have this new paddle I want to try out. It's got poison oak on one side. This is going to be fun.

[Mr. Mephistopheles]

...

The county took ownership of the land in November because of the unpaid taxes, Southwick said. ...

In my wonderful, largely rural, cheap-as-hell state to live in, all he would have needed to do is pay just one year of the back taxes to maintain ownership of the property. That is the favored tactic of our local outspoken TP. The local coffeehouse joke is that it's easy to figure out what property he owns simply by looking at the delinquent tax notices in the newspaper.

Someone else mentioned that his taxes were probably only $600 annually; where I live it wouldn't be anywhere near that for a house (unless it's a mansion) and 18 acres.

[Agent Observer]

Now we just need a way to que Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" every time we post one of these...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080404/ap_ ... n_standoff

Wisconsin standoff ends with surrender

Officers who tried to contact 60-year-old Robert Bayliss in the afternoon were fired upon, then returned fire and deployed tear gas, according to Darin Gudgeon, emergency management director for Richland County in southwestern Wisconsin.

Then a fire started in the home; Bayliss surrendered soon afterward and was taken into the custody of the Richland County Sheriff's Department, said Gudgeon, a deputy with the department.

The fire had been contained Thursday evening. The cause remained under investigation, Gudgeon said.

He faces a charge of intentionally pointing a firearm at a law enforcement officer, and sheriff's Lt. Bob Frank said other charges could be filed. He did not know whether Bayliss had a lawyer.

The dispute started Monday when deputies tried to serve Bayliss with a lawsuit seeking to evict him for failure to pay property taxes back to 2001 on his home and 18 acres, Richland county counsel Benjamin Southwick said.

The county took ownership of the land in November because of the unpaid taxes, Southwick said.

Rifle shots were fired at officers who went to the property Monday, Gudgeon said. On Thursday, SWAT officers used an armored vehicle to try to serve search and arrest warrants but encountered shots and ended up in the standoff, Gudgeon said.

Officers tried to talk to Bayliss with a bullhorn because he did not have a telephone, Frank said.

Bayliss was known as "a person who had very strong anti-government attitudes and beliefs" and who would carry a rifle and show it, Southwick said.

He owes $5,647 in delinquent taxes and interest on the land and has not paid the taxes for seven years, according to the county treasurer's office.

The home is south of Viola, a town of about 700 people 70 miles northwest of Madison.

In October, a New Hampshire property where two tax evaders holed up for months refusing to serve prison sentences was cleared of explosives and seized by the federal government. Ed and Elaine Brown are serving five years in prison.

[Leftcoaster]

Also, long time lurker, first time contributor. Love the site

Welcome to the forum! Now, if you'll turn away for just a moment, I have this new paddle I want to try out. It's got poison oak on one side. This is going to be fun.

Funny, that's what I put on when I couldn't find my fig leaf this morning.
Just for future comedic reference, you might have used "...I've been itching to try out..."

Finally, someone mentioned something about a fire earlier. Lo and Behold look what happens! How many of you are in Wisconsin? It's time to fess up!

[ASITStands]

Now we just need a way to que Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" every time we post one of these...

Or, you could go here.

[Mr. Mephistopheles]

He's in custody.

Man in Custody for Standoff In Richland County

Posted: April 3, 2008 01:00 PM CDT

Updated: April 4, 2008 09:26 AM CDT


A Richland County landowner known to have "strong anti-government attitudes" surrenders after a daylong standoff with police in southwestern Wisconsin. But not before an exchange of gunfire, deployment of tear gas and a fire in the man's house.

Darin Gudgeon, emergency management director for Richland County, says officers tried to contact the man through the day, and when they tried again Thursday afternoon, they were fired upon and returned fire, as well as deploying tear gas.

According to Gudgeon, as the operation was going on, a fire started in the home, and soon after that, 60-year-old Robert Bayliss surrendered and was taken into custody. No one was injured.

The dispute started Monday when some deputies tried to serve Bayliss with a lawsuit seeking to evict him for failure to pay property taxes back to 2001. The county took ownership of the
land last November for the unpaid taxes. Gudgeon says shots were fired at the officers, so SWAT officers returned Thursday, leading to the standoff.

Richland County corporation counsel Benjamin Southwicksays the county took ownership of the land last November for the unpaid taxes. According to the county treasurer's office, Bayliss, who, according to officials, has "strong anti-government attitudes," owes $5,647 in delinquent taxes and interest on the land and has not paid the taxes for seven years.

http://www.wkbt.com/global/story.asp?s=8113704

[Mr. Mephistopheles]

No one was hurt ...

That's the best part.

...and I now know of a place to be picked up for cheap in Wisconsin....

Vacation home!

[LPC]

Darin Gudgeon, emergency management director for Richland County,

I wonder if the position of emergency management director for Richland County, Wisconsin, is a full-time job or a part-time job.

Part-time, I guess, since Mr. Gudgeon is also the "Emergency Medical Services Coordinator" for the county. In fact, I expect that he hold every office in the county with the word "emergency" in the title.

The county only has 18,000 residents, and only one city (Richland). This stand-off with police is probably the most excitement they've had since the big dog fight of 1943.

[grixit]

No one was hurt and I now know of a place to be picked up for cheap in Wisconsin....

Yeah, if only i liked cold and had a profession like writing or painting that wasn't dependent on living where there are lots of people.

[Tax Man]

Just wait, all you naysayers.

In a few days, there'll be thousands of sovereign citizens at his house, putting up a stand against the oppressive corporate government.

This is just the moment they've been waiting for -- a chance to rally all their hundreds of thousands of oppressed 14th amendment citizens to stand up and start the second American revolution.

Give them a couple of weeks, and even Ned will have time to pedal his way up there.

Then again, it's still cold up there and there's no good barbecue within a hundred miles.


Never mind.

No, but about 200 miles away you can get some Roscoe's in Rochester.

[ASITStands]

Or Famous Dave's at La Crosse.