Ed and Elaine Brown were taken into custody in New Hampshire after a standoff with police over taxes. An auction of their property received no bidders, due to the possibility of hidden bombs.
They were indicted on tax charges in 2006 and found guilty after a trial on those charges in early 2007, when their home, located in Plainfield, N.H., was seized. An auction was held on Aug. 15 this summer at the state capital, but no one submitted a bid on the home and 100 acres of land, despite a minimum opening bid of just $250,000.
People bidding on the property would have just seven days to obtain funding, and would need to commit to purchasing the house with little chance of inspection. Bombs and other booby-traps could still be present around the land or home, authorities warn.
Deputy Chief U.S. Marshal Brenda Mikelson managed the auction in summer, although no one showed up to bid on the house.
For nine months in 2007, after their initial trial on tax evasion charges, the Browns held off police and tax authorities during an armed standoff that gained national attention. Law enforcement personnel, undercover as supporters of the couple, were finally able to take the law evaders into custody. Many people who found common cause with the couple surrounded their property in support during the standoff with law enforcement.
A commercial property in Lebanon, N.H., about 11 miles from their home and previously owned by the tax evaders is also up for auction. Elaine Brown operated her dental office from the property, which is available for a minimum bid of $507,500. Efforts to sell the properties have been in development since 2013.
The Browns owe $198,908 to the town of Plainfield, which has a population 2,250 people. Lebanon is owed $286,242 in overdue taxes.
"We've been given assurances we're getting our money. Nothing would speak to that more than an actual check," said Steve Halleran, Plainfield town administrator.
Local governments are working on new methods to help sell the two properties. Terms of the agreement may be altered, allowing bidders a longer time to secure financing. Professional auctioneers could also be hired to manage sale of the properties.
Federal officials are banning potential buyers from touring the property, over concerns the woods on the property could contain high explosives. During the standoff, Ed Brown told a radio interviewer that police forces raiding the property would die, describing his conflict as "war." However, during his trial, he testified that booby traps in the woodland areas were meant to scare, not to harm, intruders.
If the property does not sell in the coming months, the government of Plainfield may invoke a local law allowing them to take possession of the property for back taxes.
Ed Brown was sentenced to 37 years in prison, while Elaine was ordered to spend 35 years behind bars. The couple are currently in their 70s.
