A year-long, $25 million lawsuit filed against Alachua County’s (Florida) property appraiser, tax collector, clerk of the court and a number of their employees have been thrown out by a judge. The case centered around a property said to be owned by Pastor Walter Jenkins, who claims he lives there and that it is also a church that holds religious gatherings — making it exempt from property taxes, The Gainesville Sun reported.
The property appraiser’s office refuted the claim and in 2012 mailed Jenkins a $13,000 bill for back taxes from 2002 through 2011, stating that no one lived on the property, and that the property was not a church.
In 2016, the 69-year-old Jenkins sued Property Appraiser Ed Crapo and a pair of employees saying he shouldn’t have to pay. Over the last year, however, Jenkins’ complaint grew from eight claims against three defendants to 20 claims against 11 defendants, totaling $25 million, the newspaper reported.
Jenkins sued for trespassing, violation of right to privacy, fraud, coercion, mail fraud, extortion, financial damages, emotional stress and pain, and tampering with or fabricating evidence. Defendants listed in the case were Crapo, Crapo’s lawyers, former Clerk of the Court Buddy Irby, Tax Collector John Power, Alachua County and County Commissioner Robert Hutchinson.
After disputing the issue for five years, Jenkins said he is fed up. Court records show the case closed Oct. 24.
“My journey through the court system shows me that the entire system is corrupt,” Jenkins told The Gainesville Sun.
Jenkins, who served as his own legal counsel, claimed Crapo’s employees conducted an unauthorized field visit to the southeast Gainesville property and scattered trash and beer cans in his yard. Jenkins was not home at the time, but had “no trespassing” signs posted around the property, including one on his locked gated that he claims was broken.
The signs, according to Jenkins, indicate that trespassers will be subject to a $5,000 fine. The signs have since been changed, and now demand $100,000 from unwelcome visitors. The property is also equipped with several security cameras. Crapo, who denied all claims, said the property is not a church and did not have electricity for some time, proving Jenkins doesn’t live there and doesn’t qualify for a homestead exemption.
“It went on forever,” Crapo said. “It’s one of those things you wonder if it’s going to show back up.”
Crapo previously said churches must be incorporated to qualify for a tax exemption, though Jenkins said that isn’t true. Jenkins says he doesn’t own the property — LLC Trust does — and about 15 people showed up to the church’s most recent gathering. Jenkins said the church, called the Lord’s Light Church, is a congregation of mixed religions for people on a path to God. And unlike a typical church setting, he added, everyone gets an opportunity to speak to the crowd.
Jenkins said he plans to refile the lawsuit outside of Alachua County and is also considering suing Gainesville Regional Utilities, which he said improperly installed a power cable to the house.