First, do not assume that government has the authority to conduct the actions it is taking against you. That isn't always the case. Government, at all levels, has become so consumed with its own power that it will impute a law where no law or statute authority exists. If this is the case, they are operating under the "color of law", which is a federal crime (42 USC, S 1983) and the government employees or officers responsible can be held personally liable for your damages. Because our nation of laws has become so cumbersome and complex, the chances of government operating under the "color of law" has risen exponentially. If you don't challenge government as to its statute authority for the law it is citing, you may be complying with a letter or notice of a violation, when no such law or legal authority exists.

A couple of precedent setting U. S. Supreme Court decisions have admonished every American having any business with the government, to confirm that a government agency or government agent has the statute authority to conduct the actions it is taking. In the US v. Mersky case, the Supreme Court ruled that:

"Once promulgated, these regulations, called for by the statute itself, have force of law, and violations thereof incur criminal prosecution, just as if all the details had been incorporated into the congressional language. The result is that neither the statute nor the regulations are complete without the other, and only together do they have any force. In effect, therefore, the construction of one necessarily involves the construction of the other." UNITED STATES V. MERSKY, 361 U.S. 431, 438 (1960)

If you don't challenge government on its statute authority, its authority, or lack thereof, goes unchecked. In a two-step process you hit them with a 30-day letter to buy time, (HERE) then you follow up with a letter/notice challenging government's legal authority. (see link in next paragraph)

Much of the information on how to challenge government without hiring a lawyer, is covered in the NARLO Landowner Handbook that is available on our website HERE. The Handbook comes on a USB Flash Drive and includes three videos, a power point presentation, a concentrated real estate course and a mountain of valuable resource information. It represents a compilation of over 30 years experience in a wide range of land use issues by the author. The Handbook also includes a sample letter/notice that any American can use when confronted by a written or verbal, letter or notice of violation from government, even for a traffic stop. The sample letter/notice is also available HERE. Instructions for the letter/notice use are provided as well. The Handbook includes a link to almost every state's general statutes so you can research the law of your state. Although originally designed for rural landowners, the information presented in the Handbook is valuable for city dwellers as well, should they fall afoul of some government law, including the IRS.

Way too many Americans just roll over when confronted by government. Don't give in, fight back!

DISCLAIMER: It is not always possible to determine the whole truth when searching available information. Consequently, we make no warranties, express or implied, that the information presented in this article is accurate in all respects. Much of it was pulled from what we determined to be reliable sources. It is the sole responsibility of the reader to verify the information for his or her own particular situation. The material provided is for information purposes only and there is no attempt by the author to provide legal or accounting advice to anyone whatsoever. Under no circumstances are we advocating that any American break the law ..... whatever the law is determined to be. Know your rights ..... or lose them!

Ron Ewart, a nationally known author and speaker on freedom and property issues and author of his weekly column, "In Defense of Rural America", is the President of the National Association of Rural Landowners, (NARLO) (http://www.narlo.org) a non-profit corporation headquartered in Washington State, an advocate and consultant for urban and rural landowners. He can be reached for comment at info@narlo.org.