cannabisnews.com: Rainbow Farm Going Up for Auction





Rainbow Farm Going Up for Auction
Posted by CN Staff on September 02, 2002 at 11:47:43 PT
By Adam Jackson, Tribune Staff Writer 
Source: South Bend Tribune 
Since it opened in the mid-1990s, the owner of Rainbow Farm Campground touted it as a place where visitors could gather, relax and enjoy the peace of rural Cass County. Last Labor Day weekend, all of that changed.During a fateful five-day standoff, campground owner Grover "Tom" Crosslin, 46, and Rolland Rohm, 28, were both fatally shot by law-enforcement officers after the two reportedly burned down most of the buildings at the campground and shot at a news helicopter from South Bend's WNDU-TV, Channel 16.
Since that time, the campground that once played host to throngs of revelers has remained quiet and overgrown, as authorities pondered its fate.Nearly a year later, it appears those officials have made a decision: The 43 acres of rolling fields and woods will be divided into parcels and auctioned to the highest bidder."I think it is a win-win situation," Cass County Prosecutor Scott Teter said last week. "We are very pleased with the agreement."In the wills of Rohm and Crosslin, all of their possessions -- which mostly amounted to the campground, a historical brick home at the intersection of Calvin Center Road and Michigan 60, and some property in Elkhart -- were left to Robert Rohm, who is Rolland Rohm's son.Robert, who is now 14, had been raised by the two men since he was 4 years old.Now in state foster care, he has been represented by court-appointed estate overseer John Gore and guardian ad litem Peter Smith in matters concerning his inheritance.Together, Smith, Gore and Teter devised the plan to divide and auction the campground, with the proceeds from the auction to be placed in trust for Robert until he turns 18.However, the deal is not without conditions."Basically, we did not want the campground to be reopened under any circumstances," Teter said. "We didn't want a repeat of what happened there before."To that end, there are a number of provisions in the agreement designed to keep the land from ever being used for its former purpose again.First of all, Teter said that the deed to each parcel will include a restrictive covenant that the land may never be used for either a campground or an entertainment venue again. And any successful bidder on any of the parcels will be subject to the scrutiny of county officials, who may veto the sale if the buyer does not pass muster."This way, we can conduct background checks" on the buyer if necessary, Teter said.In exchange for the conditions, Teter agreed to drop an action seeking civil forfeiture of the campground under a law that allows property involved in drug trafficking to be seized.The action was initiated after an investigation conducted between 1996 and 2001 allegedly found that the property was being used to conduct festivals that allowed rampant drug use and sales, and other illegal activities by campground guests.Friends and family members of the two slain men, however, have maintained that the investigations were just a ruse to seize the land for profit. Rolland Rohm's stepfather, John Livermore, said the plan to auction off the land is further proof of that.The land is worth "several million dollars," he claimed during a telephone interview from his Rogersville, Tenn., home. The auction will bring only "pennies on the dollar."Regardless, Livermore said that the auction won't bring what the land is worth, making Robert Rohm the ultimate loser.Note: Conditions applied to land use; money to be held in trust for slain man's son.Staff writer Lou Mumford contributed to this report.Source: South Bend Tribune (IN)Author: Adam Jackson, Tribune Staff Writer Published: September 2, 2002 Copyright: 2002 South Bend TribuneContact: vop sbtinfo.comWebsite: http://www.southbendtribune.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Tom & Rollie Memorial Pagehttp://freedomtoexhale.com/rb.htmRainbow Revisited http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13950.shtmlRainbow Farm Rememberedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12799.shtmlFBI Agent Kills Rainbow Farm Ownerhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10809.shtml
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Comment #1 posted by freedom fighter on September 03, 2002 at 01:31:27 PT
Background check?
My arse! That is RACISM!OH, YOU ARE BLACK! YOU CANNOT OWN THIS LAND!
OH, YOU ARE A HIPPY, YOU CANNOT OWN THIS LAND!
OH, YOU PLANNIN A CAMPGROUND, YOU CANNOT OWN THE LAND!Just who the hell Mr. teter think he is. "Basically, we did not want the campground to be reopened under any circumstances," Teter said. "We didn't want a repeat of what happened there before."Fuck you Mr. teter! This whole thing would not have happen if you had left these men alone in the first place!Just give me a place and a time with this prick! ffPS) I am one pisssed off American! Sorry for all that profanity! 
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