What is the nature of this organization of people calling themselves the “government”? Is it based in consent, as their own founding documents claim? Or are they actually a group of men and women doing business by the threat of violence? The latter is what most of the people I associate with believe, but which is the truth? Earlier this year, I ventured into a similar area when I questioned the government people over a parking ticket. You can read parts one and two of that here. (Eventually, I will write a part three when time permits!)

So, now we begin a new saga into the world of “property taxes”.

If you’re like me, paying property taxes is a painful experience. You know that the government people are going to waste your money and that they will have little to no accountability for what they choose to do with it. Not to mention that a huge chunk of it goes to the government indoctrination camps where it is inevitably used to dumb down young people and brainwash them into the belief that the state is great. Alas, you have to pay it… or else.

Or, do you? Did you ever ask yourself how you became obligated to pay property tax bills in the first place? Do you ever remember signing a contract binding you to that obligation?

When the people calling themselves the “CITY OF KEENE” recently sent me “2008 PRELIMINARY PROPERTY TAX BILL” I decided it was time to get some answers to the questions I have. In fact, by their own rules (rules which they agreed to follow and I have not) when one is presented with a bill, one may demand to see the original contract that created the obligation in the first place. You might be saying to yourself, “Ian, you know they don’t follow their own rules.”, and you would be right. However asking these questions and posting their responses publicly will shine more light on their dishonorable activities, perhaps persuading others that now is the time for noncooperation with their dictates. With that in mind, I will post the full text of the “NOTICE OF DISCUSSION” that I sent in response to receiving their “TAX BILL”, followed by the tax collector’s response, and my reply I sent to her this morning.

First, here’s a link to a scan of the “2008 PRELIMINARY PROPERTY TAX BILL”. Look carefully at it and you’ll notice that curiously, there are no dollar signs anywhere to be found. Honest mistake, you say? From what I understand, Keene is not the only place where property tax bills have no dollar signs. Here’s another interesting point. Take a look at the water bill. It looks like it was designed on similar software and it has dollar signs all over it. Provided they can actually prove I’m obligated to pay this bill, I would like to know what it is that they would like 2,651.21 of! Bananas? Zimbabwe dollars? Gold bars? So, the idea here is to clarify the nature of the bill they have sent me. Here is the text of the “NOTICE OF DISCUSSION” that I had notarized and hand delivered to them on June 30, 2008 in response to their bill. You can also see scans of the notarized version here: page1 and page2.

June 30, 2008

CITY OF KEENE

REVENUE COLLECTOR

3 Washington St.

Keene, NH 03431 To Whom it May Concern, I am writing in acknowledgement of the receipt of a “2008 PRELIMINARY PROPERTY TAX BILL” for PROPERTY ID XXXXXX, commonly known as XXXXXXXX, issued on the 14th of May 2008, demanding the amount of “2,651.21”. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ian Bernard, an agent for BERNARD IAN. It is not my intention now, nor has it ever been my intention to defraud anyone. As a show of good faith I’m including a check for $2,651.21 in USD. If in fact, BERNARD IAN owes such an amount to your agency, you may deposit the check and discharge this matter in full when you provide to me the following: • Evidence of the valid, original instrument with my signature binding BERNARD IAN and/or his agent(s) to the obligation to your “PROPERTY TAX”.

• Considering I can not find evidence on the “TAX BILL” showing you are demanding US Dollars (USD), please define how one would properly satisfy your demand of “2,651.21”. I also require that you answer the following questions responsively. Please keep your answers appropriately enumerated to the questions:

1. Factually, what are the “CITY OF KEENE” and the “STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE”?

2. Do the group of men and women calling themselves the “CITY OF KEENE” have “authority”?

3. If so, what are the origins of and how did you as a member of that group, receive this “authority”?

4. Is your government a voluntary association of consenting individuals?

5. Do you believe you have the right to aggress against those who do not consent to your government?

6. Who owns the property commonly known as XXXXXXXXXXX? Unless I receive the above evidence and answers within 45 days of your receipt of this hand-delivered notice, on the principle of estoppel by acquiescence I shall assume that there is no contractual authority for your agency to make this demand and that BERNARD IAN and/or his agent is not obligated to any CITY OF KEENE “TAX BILL” until a meeting of the minds is reached, and a contract signed. It is my understanding that your organization offers certain services, some of which I may be interested in contracting for, but we can discuss that after this initial discussion is resolved. Please respond to the address below via a service with delivery confirmation so you can be certain that my mailbox agents have received it. Please note that any correspondence is subject to being posted on the blog at FreeKeene.com Sincerely,

Ian Bernard

39 Central Sq. #313

Keene, NH 03431

While it took the police bureaucracy over a month and a half to respond to my parking ticket discussion, to the credit of the tax collector, Ms. Mary Alther, she had her response out the door within a couple of days. Unfortunately, that’s about the only good thing I can say about her letter which barely qualifies as a response. In fact I only got a responsive answer to one of my questions and it was not in the way I had required. In addition, the check I sent them very clearly specifies that its deposit was subject to the terms described in my “NOTICE OF DISCUSSION”. Here’s a scan of the memo section of my check as proof. Even though she did not provide the evidence and answers required to deposit the check, they deposited the check anyway. Here’s a scan of the letter she sent me, and here’s the text:

July 2,2008 Dear Mr. Bernard: We are in receipt of your check number 150, dated June 30, 2008 in the amount of $2,651.21 issued by you in payment of the 2008 Preliminary Property Tax Bill for real estate located at XXXXXXXXX. Our records indicate that you are the owner of the property. The City of Keene acts with statutory authority granted to it by the New Hampshire legislature. That authority includes the issuance of real property tax bills and the acceptance of payments. Accordingly, your payment will be deposited and credited against that tax obligation for the property. Thank you for your payment.

Sincerely,

Mary Alther

Tax Collector

While my first notice I sent was addressed “to whom it may concern”, at this point, having identified the head bureaucrat, I address my next “NOTICE OF DISCUSSION” to Ms. Alther. I sent this response this morning via e-mail:

Hello Mary, In the interests of saving time and postage, I thought we should continue our discussion via e-mail. Here is my response to your recent letter: Dear Ms. Alther, I do not know you, but from what I can tell from your involvement with hospice, you’re probably a very nice person. Therefore I am sorry that you have to deal with this matter. Let it be known that I as a

sovereign seek only harmony with others, I reserve all rights, and do not intend conflict with you or the “CITY OF KEENE”. It is to that end of harmony and peace that I must question the bills that your

agency (the “CITY OF KEENE”) is sending to people. You recently wrote me, presumably in response to the original notarized letter I hand-delivered on June 30, 2008. Your letter mentions the term “payment” four times, yet I never once used it in my original notice. I would like to discharge this matter but in order to properly do that, I require certain evidence and information. I have not yet received the required evidence and you have yet to give responsive answers to the super majority of my questions. It is my understanding that your government is founded in consent. If I’ve misunderstood this and you would like to claim that I am a subject of your government, please clarify. In fact, if you see that

I have misunderstood anything in this notice, please respond with clarification. Let it be known that as a sovereign I do not consent to be bound by your statutes and regulations. It is my understanding

however that you, Ms. Alther, have sworn to be bound by the rules of your government. So, by your own rules you have presented BERNARD IAN with what you are calling a “PROPERTY TAX BILL”. I responded with my original notice, cut a check for $2,651.21 in USD, and stipulated that you may deposit the check and discharge this matter in full when you provide to me the following: · Evidence of the valid, original instrument with my signature binding BERNARD IAN and/or his agent(s) to the obligation to your “PROPERTY TAX”. · Considering I can not find evidence on the “TAX BILL” showing you are demanding US Dollars (USD), define how one would properly satisfy your demand of “2,651.21”. It is my understanding that by your own rules you must “exhibit the instrument” upon demand (my original notice should be considered a demand) in order to be able to receive payment. Otherwise, you and the “CITY OF KEENE” will be in dishonor and this matter will be discharged. As I specified in my original notice, you have until no later than August 15th, 2008 to provide the required evidence and

answers. At that point, on the principle of estoppel by acquiescence I shall assume that there is no contractual authority for your agency to make this demand and that BERNARD IAN and/or his agent is not obligated to any CITY OF KEENE “TAX BILL” until a meeting of the minds is reached, and a contract signed. In my original notice I also asked several questions. While it appears from your letter that you did answer number six (now #5 below) responsively, you did not answer it in the enumerated way I required. Therefore I will rephrase my questions, and add a few more in response

to your letter. Answer the following questions responsively. Keep your answers appropriately enumerated to the questions: 1. Factually, what are the “CITY OF KEENE” and the “STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE”? 2. Do the group of men and women calling themselves the “CITY OF KEENE” have “authority” over me, a sovereign? If so, what are the origins of and how did you as a member of that group, receive this “authority”? 3. Is your government a voluntary association of consenting individuals? 4. Do you believe you have the right to aggress against those peaceful sovereigns who do not consent to your government? 5. Who owns the property commonly known as XXXXXXXXXXXX? 6. You stated in your letter, “The City of Keene acts with statutory authority granted to it by the New Hampshire legislature.”

Factually, what is “statutory authority”? How did the people calling themselves the legislature get it to grant in the first place? 7. You also stated, “payment will be deposited and credited against that tax obligation for the property.”

Factually, how is it that an inanimate object can become obligated todo anything? How was this obligation created? 8. I noticed the check I sent has been deposited. Were you responsible for the decision to deposit my check during this as-of-yet unresolved discussion phase? If it is not you who is responsible, do

you know who is? It is my understanding that your organization offers certain services, some of which I may be interested in contracting for, but we can discuss that after this initial discussion is resolved. Note that any correspondence is subject to being posted on the blog at FreeKeene.com I look forward to your response,

Ian Bernard

39 Central Sq. #313

Keene, NH 03431

ian at freekeene.com

Will the bureaucrats answer simple questions about the nature of their “bills” and organization or will they continue to stonewall and obscure? Is this a government by the consent of the governed or is it an organized gang of men and women ruling by threat of violence? Stay tuned to FreeKeene.com for the latest! Also, join the discussion over on the Forum!