What properties does the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society hold title to?

[Guest Kurt]

Jehovahs Witnesses obey the secular laws in the lands in which they operate. This information would be on file for public review by the New York State Real Estate Office. The Christian Congregation of Jehovahs Witnesses is a preaching organization, we believe, carrying out the same work that Jesus, Paul, and the faithful Christians in the first century engaged in. They are not a real estate holding company. Because the real estate market has boomed in many cities, including Brooklyn, New York, some of these properties have gained in value. Remember though that the Witnesses held firm in Brooklyn while the neighborhood around them was being left to decay.
many do not realize how much property watchtower bible and tract society actually own. we take the work of spreading the kingdom news very seriously and are convinced that Jehovah God and his son have entrusted this responsability to this organization. therefore, it would take alot of money to accomplish the work of educating the entire population of this planet about Jehovah's ways and standards, and prepare them to survive armageddon. so even though most have not responded we continue to take the message throughout the earth in hopes that many more will listen and be saved.
The watchtower bible and tract society holds title to: Properties in brooklyn new york; Facility near Walkill, NY; Agricultural Farmland (3-6 Sections) near Walkill, NY; Educational Center @ Patterson, NY Branch office properties in Toronto Canada, England, Europe; some parts of Africa; Most of the countries of South America; New Zealand, Austrailia, Indonesia, the Philipines, Japan, and Tiawan. The watchtower bible and tract society holds title to Notes secured by real estate on tens of thousands of properties as a result of "quick build" kingdom halls and renovations on other similar properties. (aggregate amount of notes estimated in 2004 to be in excess of $11,000,000,000 in the United States alone) Current estimate of existing market prices would place the value of the notes held in the United States in the neighborhood of $30 to $40 Billion as of 5-13-08 World wide the estimate aggregate value of real estate and debentures held would be in the neighborhood of $300 to $600 Billion. This does not include Owned or subsidized commercial operations. Those would increase that value by 25% to 50% more.
 

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Russian court turns properties of banned JehovahÂ’s Witnesses over to government (the Russian)
 

[JW Insider]

8 hours ago, Kurt said:

Remember though that the Witnesses held firm in Brooklyn while the neighborhood around them was being left to decay.

Where did you get that from? From year to year, the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood has continued to be built up and get better and be made cleaner and more expensive than most other parts of Brooklyn for the last 100 years. The Watchtower Society was not the only entity that had been building up and investing in this area of Brooklyn. But the Watchtower kept its buildings and factories very clean and well-maintained, and made it a point to obtain empty lots for new buildings and to purchase buildings in need of renovation. The WTS generally had a very positive effect on the prices of Brooklyn Heights property, even though it produced a loss of tax revenue that the city would have obtained if those buildings had been owned by for-profit corporations. Then again, for profit corporations had a higher rate of failure and building abandonment during several periods economic depression and recession over the last 100 years -- so all in all, Brooklyn Heights was made much better for the time we spent there.

I have a feeling your numbers are a bit high from a true outside perspective. The real estate numbers might be correct, or they might be too high, but the value of the "commercial operations" is in an industry (primarily pre-press, printing, binding, shipping) which is not a function of the percent of the real estate owned. There is a value in non-depreciated equipment (laundry, printing presses, bindery equipment, computers, tractors, trucks). But its value must be measured on a case-by-case basis in each individual market. The range given above indicates that this portion could be anywhere from $75 to $300 billion [25% of $300B up to 50% of $600B]. My guess is that competitive valuations of these particular global assets could not total more than 1 to 2 billion, $US.

[Guest Kurt]

  On 2017-12-12 at 12:35 PM, Kurt said:

Remember though that the Witnesses held firm in Brooklyn while the neighborhood around them was being left to decay.

@JW Insider sorry I forgot to refer where I took this from!! If you want, you can correct the perryman: here

 

[Guest Kurt]

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Property ownership