The government more or less “legally” owns anything they say they own at any time for any reason.
In this case they didn’t used to own the rights to it. Plus the family was willing to pay, just not to a corrupt organization.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3143026/posts
Read post 32.
No government entity is kicking us my off our land - because I own it. A lot of people believe that these guys owned the land, that it had been in their family for generations when that is simply not true. They do not own it and never did. People need to comprehend that before they get all wound up about it.
Pay the rent and there would not be any problem. Bundys created the problem when they stopped paying rent in 1993.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/04/07/feds-move-in-on-nevada-rancher-herd-over-illegal-grazing/