Remember Tax Evaders Ed and Elaine Brown of Plainfield?

This is my yearly confession on behalf of myself and my husband, David.  We wait until the very last day to file our taxes.  It happens every year.  I did get minorly hopeful this year because we didn't have to send them in until July 15th because of the pandemic, but alas, here I sit, without a completed tax return for 2019.

It makes me think of Edward and Elaine Brown of Plainfield, NH who you may have heard of when they refused to pay their taxes for several years. (We are not refusing to pay and never have... we're just always late)

The Browns had 100 acre property in Plainfield and lived completely off the grid.  They absolutely refused to pay their taxes, according to Wikipedia.  This note was sent back from the Browns to the tax office in Plainfield when they received their tax bill in 2007:

Nay! Nay! The land… at 401 Center of Town Road, Plainfield, New Hampshire [the Browns' residence], and all that is in and upon it, including the Lords bodies, are in the kingdom of heaven, belonging to the Lord, have been claimed by him, and thus can be claimed by no man, nor can any man have beneficial interest in it… Stand down and away from the Lords land and the bodies of the Lord. So it is written. So it is done.

Wow.  Okay then.

The Browns were told by a Federal Judge to pay their taxes or their property would be seized.  That was in February of 2007. From that time until the time that they were taken in to custody, the story was on WMUR every night.  The people of NH and the country were glued to their TV night after night.  The Browns had supporters who helped them stockpile arms to fight Federal Agents.  The whole thing was nuts!

On October 4, 2007, the Browns were arrested and taken in to custody by Federal agents.  Ed Brown received a 37 year sentence and was recently denied bail, according to a story from abc27.com. His wife, Elaine Brown, received a 35 year sentence.  She was released in January of 2020, after serving 12 years and is seeking a divorce from Ed.

CRAZY!  I don't know why this thing wasn't made in to a movie yet!