Saturday, September 05, 2009

Arizona AG Files Suit Against California-Based Alleged "Property Tax Reduction" Racket

From the Office of the Arizona Attorney General:
  • Attorney General Terry Goddard [...] announced that he has filed a lawsuit and obtained a temporary restraining order to stop the perpetrators of an alleged fraud that claimed a homeowner’s property qualified for a "property tax reduction review." The official-looking advertisement appeared to be an attempt to scam homeowners who were looking to reduce their property tax bill.(1) [...] Goddard’s office and county assessors across Arizona have received hundreds of complaints regarding the solicitation since they became aware of it at the beginning of [August]. The offer, which requests a $189 processing fee, is not affiliated with any government entity. According to court documents, the document attempts to appear official and contains a "notice number" and deadline for prompt processing.

For the entire Arizona AG press release, see Terry Goddard Files Lawsuit to Stop Alleged Property Tax Scam.

For more from the Arizona AG:

(1) The lawsuit names Property Tax Review Board, Inc., a Granada Hill, Calif.-based company; Property Tax Review Board’s President and CEO Michael McConville, of Simi Valley, Calif., and Carmen Mercer, of Tombstone, owner of the Post Office box included in the solicitation.