Deal is proposed in UEP trust fight
The Utah State Attorney General's Office has filed a settlement proposal to end the dispute over a $114 million property trust once run by polygamous church leader Warren Jeffs.
As outlined in a letter of intent, the proposal returns control of most of the trust holdings to the Fundamentalist LDS Church.
An arm of the church, the United Effort Plan Trust holds most of the land and homes in Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., the twin towns where most church members live, and a church enclave in Bountiful, British Columbia.
The Utah courts seized the communal trust in 2005 after allegations of mismanagement by Jeffs. Under the oversight of a court-appointed fiduciary, the communal religious trust has been converted into a secular entity.
The letter filed in 3rd District Court late Monday seeks to accommodate the needs of both current and former church members who have contributed assets to the trust. The letter is only a framework for a settlement that must ultimately approved by 3rd District Judge Denise Lindberg.
Anyone with an interest in the UEP has until June 30 to submit comments on the proposal to the court.
A central issue of settlement talks was the distribution of homes and undeveloped land held by the trust and whether the twin towns should be subdivided. Currently the land is held in large blocks of communal property which often hold multiple homes.
The letter of intent proposes dividing undeveloped land south of the twin towns, with 60 acres going to the FLDS. Another portion of the land would be subdivided into 50 lots to be distributed to former church members who could prove a legitimate claim to trust assets.
Existing residential properties would also be divided under a plan that would allow for both individual property deeds and the retention of larger, communal swaths of land.
The proposal calls for the establishment of a housing panel to decide property claims. Its members would include individuals proposed by both the FLDS and an existing court-appointed advisory board.
The proposal also calls for the removal of Bruce Wisan, the court-appointed fiduciary who has managed the trust since 2005, and for the appointment of a new fiduciary to execute the settlement over a period of about one year.
Additional issues
Parties involved in a dispute over a polygamous church land trust filed a settlement proposal with the Utah courts on Monday. The central issues were the distribution of homes and undeveloped land held in the United Effort Plan Trust, an arm of the Fundamentalist LDS Church. Not all the parties agree on the settlement as proposed.
Recent comments
I just cannot believe that the ELECTED Attorney General of the State...
FlaMom | June 16, 2009 at 7:33 a.m.
- Soccer MVPs know how to win 1:56 a.m.
- Alta's Ohai is Ms. Soccer 2009 1:56 a.m.
- High school soccer: Past MVPs 1:37 a.m.
- Senators want food tax restored 1:27 a.m.
- Utah women lag in higher education 1:16 a.m.
- Hatch empathizes with Muslims 1:14 a.m.
- Matheson gets no thanks from GOP 1:13 a.m.
- Mitchell seeks to block witnesses 1:12 a.m.
- Party insiders may take on Bennett 1:11 a.m.
- Input sought on nondiscrimination 1:11 a.m.
- TCU showdown has big implications
- Seniors helped BYU regroup
- Lambert surprisingly tops news
- Hope for single moms
- Bystanders framed for child porn
- Korver and Miles to be evaluated
- Soccer MVPs know how to win
- Utah Jazz Extra: Whose hot/not
- Matheson gets no thanks from GOP
- Newhouse Hotel, an explosive end
- House passes health care bill
228 - TCU showdown has big implications
183 - Lobo suspended
182 - Cougars crush hapless Cowboys
154 - Utah Jazz fall apart against Kings
131 - TCU 4th in AP poll; U. 16th, Y. 22nd
118 - Thousands protest health bill
114 - RSL rallies to advance
103 - No 'backlash' for pioneers, gays analogy
97 - Utes pound winless Lobos
89
Meghan McCain, the daughter of former presidential candidate John...
Why do so many people live so close to refineries in Utah and elsewhere?
Sounds like a good option if you can't or won't switch to AT&T for the...
I worked with and around Bill Sederburg for 5 years while he was at...
hand. He needs to work on his moves to the basket and rebounding. Lateral...
play Fez or Koufos tonight. He went with a smaller line up and Boozer, Okur...
I've met Bennett before and he is a nice man. He also knows the Constitution...
That's never been a secret. Everyone will pay for it except those that don't...
I agree with NonMormon. I am active LDS, and I enjoy Ash's articles, and I...
I kept saying don't resign Milsap, especially after Portland offered that...
BYU is the slowest team that has ever been in the top 25. Utah will put up a...
i think u have the cowboys ranked too low! at least an A- LOL nice work!

