Lets look at the case of Cliven Bundy, the rancher in Nevada who - TopicsExpress

Lets look at the case of Cliven Bundy, the rancher in Nevada who has become a hero of sorts to some people. 1993--Bundy has repeatedly been fined for grazing his cattle on [BLM] protected land, fines he has not paid since 1993. The BLM, which oversees about 800 grazing areas in Nevada, has responded by revoking his [grazing] permit. Bundy has not applied for a new one. 1995--At this point, Cliven Bundy has racked up $31,000 in fees for grazing on federal land without a permit. March, 1996--A federal court in [Nevada] struck down the Nye County [Nevada] ordinance [that claimed state ownership and local management of public land in the state]...One Nye County rancher, Cliff Gardner,...decided to take his case to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing that states rights mean the federal government has no authority over the land where his cattle graze. 1998--A federal judge issues a permanent injunction against Bundy, ordering him to remove his cattle from the federal lands. He lost an appeal to the San Francisco 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. He represented himself. March 2002--Cliff Gardner is sentenced to a month in a Reno halfway house, along with a $5,000 fine and a year of probation. He has been under house arrest for the three previous months for not taking his cattle off of federal land. When his sentence — which affirmed the U.S. Forest Services authority over the disputed land — was announced, more than 50 states rights protesters were in the courtroom with him. 2009--...Bundy still runs his cows through here, even though since 1993 he has been ordered to desist because he has no permit. Bundy says that his family has grazed here since the nineteenth century and that he doesnt recognize the authority of the federal government. August 2013--A court order says Bundy has 45 days to remove his cattle from federal land. March 15, 2014--After nearly 20 years, the Bureau of Land Management sends Bundy a letter informing him that they plan to impound his trespass cattle, which have been roaming on 90 miles of federal land. SO...the courts have REPEATEDLY ruled that Bundy is a a tenant who has not paid his rent. [Bundy previously had a permit, which the BLM revoked...so that means that, at one time, there was a permit/contract/lease agreement between the federal government and Bundy. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT DETAIL THAT HAS BEEN OVERLOOKED IN MOST REPORTS OF THE CONFRONTATION!!!] Now, I dont know about YOU...but if I owned a property, and a tenant hadnt paid his rent in 20+ years, I would WANT the law to allow me to evict the tenant and his property--in Bundys case, his cattle--or to confiscate and sell his property to pay the back rent due. IF BUNDY PREVAILS, this will set a LEGAL PRECEDENT that NO LANDLORD, whether it be a government or a private citizen, will in the future have the right to evict a non-paying tenant. IS THIS THE LEGAL CONSEQUENCE PEOPLE WANT? Actions have consequences. Normally, nonpayment of rent results in eviction. If we allow this man to get by with nonpayment of rent, then NO contract can be legally enforced, and ANARCHY will be the result. SO...are we still a nation of laws..or are we not? Lets review: 1. The land in question DOES NOT BELONG TO BUNDY; IT IS PUBLIC LAND. 2. The courts have ruled that the PUBLIC land in question DOES NOT BELONG TO THE STATE, but IT BELONGS TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. An appeals court decision has UPHELD the original court decision. 3. Bundys insistence on grazing his cattle on this public land WITHOUT PAYMENT OF THE GRAZING FEES [rent] is therefore IN DEFIANCE OF THE LAW. So tell me again how this man is a patriot, and how overturning the laws governing landlord/tenant relationships in particular, and contract law in general, will benefit this country. If my family has lived in a house owned by someone else for years, and then I decide to stop paying rent on that house, how does that grant me the right to continue to live there rent-free...and how does my defiance of eviction attempts make me a patriot? Because if thats the case, Im going to stake out a luxury condo in an upscale neighborhood and become a patriot by taking it over. If you are a landlord...BE CAREFUL OF WHAT YOU WISH FOR in this case, because it MAY set a legal precedent that will BURN you.