Retiree recalls nerve-wracking 'hammering' by Betty Montgomery's office

From Lois Blaney, July 9, 2006

Subject: Re:Marc returns favor to former STRS board member Betty (Montgomery) - and then some!

Dear Molly --

Joan Donley fwds STRS info & this one regarding OH auditor Montgomery brought my hackles up remembering our experience 6 yrs ago when we sold our house in Baltimore & moved to Florida.

3 (THREE) days before our closing, our title co. called & said that there was a lien on our property that had to be cleared before we could sell. I couldn't believe my ears, it was by the State of Ohio -- we had had a craft business for 10 yrs., I canceled my vendors license & paid the final quarter sales tax.

Then I received a bill for late taxes for $1500 + plus late penalty -- I wrote back & asked how I could have a tax bill of $1500, when we didn't even sell that much merchandise. I never received a response & "assumed" it was corrected.

NO! I still owed $5.00 -- YES! FIVE Dollars! Instead of notifying me, they put a lien on our house.

I was furious, but the interesting thing was that the lien was filed by an attorney from Dayton, OH -- Montgomery's "stomping grounds" -- which made me more furious that our tax dollars are paying her 'cronies"!

Not to mention a trip to Lancaster to pay the $5.00, & they did me a special favor & completed the paper work in one day ("UNHEARD OF"), indicating that the lien had been paid & had to deliver it to Columbus so our closing could stay on schedule. It cost me $40.00 to get the lien removed, not to mention all of the anxiety & extra time to complicate our "Exit" from Ohio!!

If Marc would like more exact dates, details, name of law firm, etc., I'll "dig" it out -- I just wonder how many other people have been "hammered" by them & how much the state pays that law firm for every case they handle??????

Thanks for all that you do for STRS!!

Sincerely,

Lois Blaney