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FLDS Church Asks Court To Replace Special Fiduciary

By Howard M. Friedman

Yesterday the FLDS Church took yet another step in opposing long-running efforts by a Utah state court to reform the $120 million United Effort Plan Trust which holds land that before 2005 had been controlled communally by leaders of the polygamous FLDS Church. (See prior posting.) Salt Lake Tribune reports that a motion was filed yesterday by the corporation of the president of the FLDS church and the estate of Rulon T. Jeffs, the sect's former president, seeking removal of Bruce R. Wisan as the court-appointed special fiduciary. The motion, seeking appointment of someone else as fiduciary, claims that Wisan has failed to protect trust property and is biased against FLDS members. The motion also argues that Wisan has developed a conflict of interest: "While the interests of trust beneficiaries strongly favor keeping the property to the trust intact, the interests of Mr. Wisan and his lawyers now favor liquidation in order to pay their very substantial fees." This follows a motion filed last month by the estate of Rulon Jeffs seeking return of the UEP trust to Jeffs estate. (See prior posting.)

Full post as published by Religion Clause on December 03, 2009 (boomark / email).