"America's longest running house of prostitution," the haunted Dumas Brothel in Butte, Montana, is the focus of a court battle between owner Rudy Giecek and the International Sex Worker Foundation for Art, Culture and Education.

A trial date has been set in Butte district court for September 5, as ISWFACE claims a degree of ownership of the building that Giecek disputes. Giecek signed an agreement in 1998 for ISWFACE to purchase the attraction, which Giecek could no longer afford to maintain himself.

Giecek's side of the story: "I am fighting a frivolous lawsuit brought about by ISWFACE. They put some earnest money ($5000) on the Dumas three years ago. They never did come up with the down payment! I had given them early possesion with the condition that they keep up my payments on the Dumas until they got it refinanced. They never even tried to refinance it and got me way behind on my payments. I finally had to get them out of the Dumas. I sold just about everything I owned just to catch up on the payments."

Giecek put the Dumas on E-Bay to find new buyers, triggering the legal action from ISWFACE. Giecek plans to represent himself in the trial, mainly because he can't afford to pay a lawyer. He assures us in the meantime the Dumas is open for business and tourists. [06/10/2001]

February 10, 2012