Revenue Review

I’ve submitted all the papers I have to the proper authorities.

Now all I can do is sit and wait---again.

The ongoing saga of our developer’s administrative fine becoming our problem was chronicled here and here.

I know you all are thinking, “Hasn’t that gone away?” “Wasn’t that settled?”

In a phrase, no it wasn’t.

For the record, Mr. Knight didn't list us as his employers, the city assumed that because he was listed as our registered agent with the Secretary of State's office that he was our employee.

See my little dumplings what happens when you assume?

If memory serves me correctly, when Mr. Knight, was informed of the debt last year he wouldn’t cut us a check so we could go settle the matter with the city. At the time he wanted our attorney at the time to see if the debt could be transferred back into his name.

If you think father time isn’t kind to most things, you should try attempting to resurrect a four year old administrative fine and persuading the city to undo everything it’s already done.

Even though everything they did was by the book.

It’s not the city’s fault that Carlton didn’t inform the members of the board that wage deduction orders were piling up in his office.

The association would have a great civil case against him but for one small thing---he has made it a little tough for most people and governmental entities to find his money.

I’m not saying it can’t be found but it’s gonna take some kind of municipal or federal firepower to make that happen.

Firepower, I’m sorry to say that our condo association doesn’t have.

So why in heaven’s name would the association pursue a lawsuit with the expense of lawyers and the like when we’re fairly confident that we’d never see a dime of the money?

Then we’d still have to pay the money owed the city---the debt grows .64 cents a day---AND would be out of some major scratch for a lawyer to sue Carlton Knight

That my friend is called a pyrrhic victory---as I’ve found out from dealing with Mr. Knight, right doesn’t equal might.

So what to do?

Back when I first met the Lord High Executioner (LHE) I bounced this little head scratcher off of his noggin’ to see if he might be able to shed some light. Due to the age of the matter, there was little he could do from a law department perspective.

And at the time, we were frying other procedural fish concerning loopholes in the developers licensing registry and the granting of permits.

Prioritization is the key.

Nonetheless, once all of that hoo-ha was dealt with, there was still a little matter of the ever growing fine. A fine that no one who originally bought into the association or has since moved into the association is responsible for.

The LHE referred me to a contact in the Revenue Department.

The best analogy I can make to the Revenue Department is this---If the Law Department is Tony Soprano, the Revenue Department is Chris Moltisanti.

You do not want to have Christopher knocking on your front door. You do not want him looking for you.

Your day is going downhill fast when Chris or the Revenue Department has you in their sights.

They don’t play.

After a round of phone tag I reached the LHE’s contact and attempted a brief explanation of the problem.

He suggested that I gather up all of the paperwork, write a letter of explanation about the situation and fax it to his office.

I did just that but instead personally walked all of the paperwork in to his assistant on my way to work last Friday.

So I’m hoping that we’ll get extracted from this mess and that the debt falls squarely back onto the shoulders of Carlton Knight.

‘Cause from where I’m standing that’s where it belonged in the first place.