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Question for US law-knowledgeable people

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 9:33 pm
by Laserminer
I was thinking about this a while back, but I know very little about US law technicalities. Partly, I'm too lazy to research it, but also I'd like to hear from a lawyer/someone who knows a lot about it. I know there's at least one lawyer on Minerealm given the large player base.

I have a scenario here and some questions:

A stateless person inside the United States wants to buy land, he can, right?
If he can and does, suppose the land has no utilities.
Now he doesn't need to pay for any utilities at all.
In addition, any rents/things to pay others/the gov't he gets rid of and lives without.
The land he's got is some wilderness, not in any national or state or city park.
He declares independence and ceases to exercise any US rights.

There, inside the US, he creates his own micronation on the small property he owns.

Is that illegal as in stealing land? Or will people not care and let him have his "country" inside the USA?
Can he be prosecuted for secession (I know that is illegal) even if he's stateless to start with?

Re: Question for US law-knowledgeable people

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 9:42 pm
by ewana1991
So you're basically asking, if someone like a Scotsman, me, bought a random piece of raw land in the US that had no utilities of any kind, would it be legal to declare said land a nation in its self?

Re: Question for US law-knowledgeable people

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 9:45 pm
by Laserminer
ewana1991 wrote:So you're basically asking, if someone like a Scotsman, me, bought a random piece of raw land in the US that had no utilities of any kind, would it be legal to declare said land a nation in its self?
No a Scotsman is not stateless.

Edit - I'm assuming you mean a national of Scotland by Scotsman

Re: Question for US law-knowledgeable people

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 9:48 pm
by jailbird556
I am Canadian so I may be wrong, but if you buy land from the government they tax you a property tax because they have to make money off it. The could apparently use it in some way except they don't give a rats furry ass about it until you are interested in it.
In mu opinion that is how most governments work. :P

Re: Question for US law-knowledgeable people

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 9:50 pm
by Laserminer
jailbird556 wrote:I am Canadian so I may be wrong, but if you buy land from the government they tax you a property tax because they have to make money off it. The could apparently use it in some way except they don't give a rats furry ass about it until you are interested in it.
In mu opinion that is how most governments work. :P
Right and I meant to mention the guy wouldn't pay any taxes.

Re: Question for US law-knowledgeable people

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 9:57 pm
by guadalcanal1
Are you even allowed to own land in the US that is not taxed on by the government?

Re: Question for US law-knowledgeable people

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 10:26 pm
by fritterdonut
No, you cannot.

Contrary to what the government would want you to believe, you do NOT own your land. The government simply allows you to pretend that you do. If you attempted this, it is most likely you would either be laughed at or your land would simply be taken from you as a "security risk", or for failing to pay state/federal taxes.

Your best chance at establishing a micronation at this point is doing what Sealand did. Find a sandbar in the middle of nowhere, and beach or sink a permanent vessel on it.

Re: Question for US law-knowledgeable people

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 10:33 pm
by tehbomb
If by stateless person you mean the person would live 100% without the government, and outside of the law, yes, it is possible, but i'm pretty sure not in USA, it has 'been done in Canada though.

Although you would have to:
-Make/grow your own food.
-No medecine/healthcare.
-Either make your own clothes or have a friend give you some.
-Make your own house, and electricity.
-Be very knowledgeable of the law, and go to court for a fairly long time.

This movie contains alot of information about this, and is very interesting, haven't watched it in a while so my info may be flawed, but alot of it is explained in this video.

[youtube]uliLfykURYo[/youtube]



EDIT: Also, a friend of mine actually talked to him via FB, if you're really interested in more information i could get his FB info for you.

Re: Question for US law-knowledgeable people

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 10:44 pm
by EpicBros
As long as no one is witness, you can do anything.

Re: Question for US law-knowledgeable people

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 10:45 pm
by Laserminer
EpicBros wrote:As long as no one is witness, you can do anything.
No... you can't do a lot of illegal stuff when no one is watching.