Posted on 04/13/2009 12:15:20 PM PDT by jim_trent
Like a 3-year-old, for whom the word "no" has little relevance, Omaha landlord Paul J. Hansen flagrantly flouts the rules. Like a parent, the courts keep putting him in timeout.
But the battle of wills has stretched for years now, and there's no sign that the "timeouts" — including one for 60 days in jail handed down Friday in Douglas County Court — are having any impact.
It had been a busy week in court for Hansen: Thursday, he was tracked down in a sixth-floor stairwell at the Douglas County Courthouse to be cited for code violations at five north Omaha properties and was arrested in the process. He was booked on suspicion of 15 counts of housing code violations, two counts of obstructing an officer and one count of giving false information, all misdemeanors, before posting bail.
SNIP
In his written answer, Hansen identifies himself as "a Nebraska nationalist called Paul John: with the family name of Hansen."
Though he long has lived in northeast Omaha, Hansen denies being a resident of Omaha or a resident of Nebraska and "is not a United State (sic) person." He does, however, describe himself as "a private man on the Land of Nebraska" but says he does not have association with "the assumed United States Post Office appointed address" of the properties in question.
He said that any arrangements with Drews were private and that he possesses "the subject Land and Shelter by private agreement . . . and as a liberty and as a right."
This guy has been in the news 2 or 3 times a year for the last several years. Originally, he called himself a libertarian. It looks like he has gone past that now. He is calling himself a "sovereign citizen". The last time I heard that, it was Steven Bixby who murdered two policemen in SC. Lately he has taken to refusing to answer anything because they haven't written his name right (several explanations, but I don't completely understand -- he seems to keep changing the rules).
Omaha has a long history with libertarians, but this one is different. I have never seen his name on a ballot. Past colorful libertarians have run for something every 4 years. Sometimes Mayor, sometimes City Councilmember, State legislator, or even Congress.
>(several explanations, but I don’t completely understand — he seems to keep changing the rules).
*shrug* - The politicians keep changing the rules too. (AIG retroactive taxation...)
I figured he was a sovereign, I have a friend that is into all that and the silver colloidal of course, no driver’s license or income taxes and something about flags with fringes. It is an odd world that they live in.
God Bless the guy, as supposedly a US Citizen where the power is to be vested in a a free ‘People’..why can’t the government just leave him alone and let him live his life, isn’t that what he wants? Isn’t that what any of us WANT? And some of you disparage this guy for actually (putting his *boils) to match his rehotoric? Can many of you say the same in your small government diatribes..or are we all “Liberals” Now?
Yes, how odd a spine must feel.
The friend is a space case that wouldn’t know a spine if you handed him one.
In a valid discussion, it is preferable if one does not substitute opinion in lieu of the facts. Your opinion is noted, and his is already established. So far, you have produced no facts in this matter so I suppose you merely have a large knee-jerk response to certain topics. Me, I think if the man wants no truck with the government then the government is better off paying attention to other, more pressing matters such as crime prevention, road maintenance, and lessening taxation to mention but a few.
LOL, why don’t you tell me all about my friend, It would be fun to learn what image is in your head.
He must be genuinely stupid too, to be a coward and yet go out of his way to make the appearance of defying the government of the strongest country in the World. One would think that a coward would have picked an easier path in life...
“He must be genuinely stupid too, to be a coward and yet go out of his way to make the appearance of defying the government of the strongest country in the World. One would think that a coward would have picked an easier path in life...”
Why? He is a hippie, he doesn’t have any worries, he can be as fruity as he wants to be, for one thing his “straight” brother funnels a lot of money to him and his wealthy, liberal friends all let him visit them and stay for long periods of time.
He is a lifelong hippie that lives in a sort of a tiny commune, he will believe any of the worst stories about America or the military or western civilization that you want to tell him, you can tell him that your job in the army was to mop up the civilians and then kill unauthorized GIs that witnessed it and he would accept it as totally believable.
He is a lifelong vegetarian that only eats organic (he is fanatical about his personal health of course)and is a follower of all the conspiracies and wouldn’t touch a gun, or knife, or club if you gave it to him, he will admit up front that he is a peace and love guy that rejects all religion, especially Christianity and won’t fight for anything if it involves physical danger.
He is a “sovereign” as he says and is a part of your movement, none of his hippie friends pay taxes but at least he doesn’t do it because he belongs to the tax revolt and has attended their seminars and reads their books. He is the oddest character that I know and I have spent about 15 years trying to make him a man and get him to come to his senses about life, I even took him to a Hillsdale College event, he also spends a lot of time in Northern California.
I guess we disagree. The guy he was stealing from is a mental case. He cannot knowingly or freely enter into any kind of agreement. He was being taken advantage of.
In the past, this upstanding “US Citizen” has hired people to beat up his tenants (mostly drunks, druggies, or illegal aliens who are willing to live in squalor) who fell behind on the rent. I know this because he has spent some time in jail for doing that very thing.
I don’t believe that anyone should take advantage of others. Any coercion at all means he is NOT a libertarian — nor a Christian. I also don’t like that he rents to illegal aliens since they are unlikely to complain (all his “agreements” say that the tenant cannot complain to the authorities).
However, if he is your hero, so be it.
The article didn't mention anything about beating people up. I disagree with that. As for renting to the man with schizophrenia, I can see that as grounds for recission of the contract.
What I disagree with is the main thrust of the article, that this guy is some kind of villain just because his properties are crummy. Taking advantage of the mentally incompetent is one thing, but entering into voluntary contracts with competent adults is a different matter.
Did not know these facts, I only know what was presented in this article, I would prefer you don’t refer to him as my “hero” unless I have given REAL reason to believe that.
I thought it was very obvious from the article that the guy he was stealing from was a mental case. However, you are correct that the additional information that I know because I have been following the news reports on this guy for several years was not there.
It is plainly apparent to me (both from this article and others) that he does NOT “rent” to anyone who is not in a position to be taken advantage of. And he does take advantage of them. That is the reason I heap abuse on him and will continue to do so.
Although he once called himself a libertarian (I don’t know if he still does — he seems to have moved on to the “sovereign citizen” stage”), no true libertarian or conservative should defend him in any way, shape, or form. He uses coercion.
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