Henderson man sues for $38 quadrillion

If successful, John Theodore: Anderson (yes, that colon is there on purpose) will be the richest man in all the land.

The Henderson resident recently filed a lawsuit against a Utah law firm seeking $38 quadrillion, which is more money than currently exists, at least in U.S. currency, in the entire world.

“In all my years of practice I have never heard of a contract that is formed between an attorney and the opposing pseudo-plaintiff because that attorney filed a lawsuit to protect his client’s interest,” said Michael C. Van in an email to Las Vegas Legal News.

Anderson did not return telephone calls seeking comment, but the papers he’s filed in Utah’s Iron and Utah counties do not appear to be stock legal pleadings. And neither do they appear to have anything to do with the current owner of the property.

He seems to have hitched his legal wagon to the Uniform Commercial Code, which apparently trumps the U.S. Constitution and Utah statutes. The UCC makes Anderson an entity in his own right, an "actual man" and an "immortal soul."

So why is Anderson suing the firm of Shumway Van and Schramm? Because the firm sued him for placing a lien it says is improper on Utah property owned by one of their clients. A client who has no ties to Anderson whatsoever, it should be noted. The lien clouds title to the client's property, as liens are wont to do, because of a real or imagined dispute Anderson had with the previous owner.

Anderson has filed a number of bizarre pleadings in the case – that are far more difficult to decode than the usual legalese – and claims that neither judge nor jury could possibly deny him his claim, for it is a “perfected contract” and his evidence is “verified.”

Anyone who tries to litigate or otherwise defend themselves, like the lawyers at Shumway Van and Schramm, are subject to an automatic increase in damages by 204 times.

These “facts” are clearly and incontrovertibly spelled out in the UCC, apparently, which is eerily similar to statements made by Harold Call, a member of the so-called sovereign Citizens movement who on Tuesday was sentenced in federal court to 18 months in prison on gun charges. Read the story from Tuesday's Las Vegas Review0-Journal here.

Both men claim the government has no control over them and both men for some reason sometimes use colons in their names.

Strangely, though, while the government has no control over Anderson, he has complete control over the government. He claims an ability to force any court to grant him damages just for filing a motion – to the tune of 204 times, every time.

Van said he figures Anderson’s claimed damages are up to $7.752 quintillion as of Thursday. “I guess we will have to see how this all plays out and whether Mr. Anderson will be No. 1 on the Forbes list of richest people in the world next year.”

Unfortunately, Mr. Anderson’s pro se filings come at a price. Literally, since litigation costs money. Lots of it. The firm and its client could spend tens of thousands of dollars defending what is obviously a frivolous lawsuit, and that just doesn't seem fair.