FACT CHECK ON YATES Jon Susce In the North Port Sun an article was written by Allison Shirk on Oct. 29, 2014. The Sarasota Phoenix stands firm on the facts presented regarding Linda Yates and her Puzzle Paper Company, Akron, Ohio. We are unable to locate a Florida based Corporation called UFP, Inc. However we did locate a past document showing Puzzle Paper Company the main company. Company Name: UFP INC. File Number: G08197900295 Filing State: Florida Filing Status: Active Filing Date: July 15, 2008 Company Age: 6 Years, 3 Months Principal Address:1181 South Sumter Blvd. #275, North Port, FL 34287 Linda Yates claims the Phoenix was accusing her of funneling more than $5500 from her campaign to UFP, INC. Linda Yates and Treasurer Thomas Millaway signed every financial reported recorded by the Clerk, City of North Port. Fact: Yates did paid for supplies through UFP, Inc. a Company owned and operated by Linda Yates; for her campaign and these receipts are listed on her campaign financial reports. June 5, 2014 Campaign financial report: $494.01 and 270.08; UFP, INC paid by Campaign: $1674.55., July 10, 2014 UFP, Inc, paid by campaign: $1091.95, July 25, 2014 UFP, Inc. Paid by campaign: $795.84, August 1, 2014 UFP, Inc paid by campaign $208.76, August 8, 2014 UFP, Inc. paid by campaign: $422.44 UFP, Inc. paid by campaign:$692.00, Sept. 4, 2014, UFP, Inc. paid by campaign $98.64. Yates claims she paid all of her business taxes. Fact: The reported and filed franchise taxes and business taxes are not transparent in the State of Ohio, but Mrs. Yates could have disclosed these taxes if she wanted to be upfront with her voters. She chose not to disclose. Yates claims she did not receive large contributions from outside area LLC’s Fact: The Sarasota Phoenix through documentation provided by the Clerk of the City showed two contributions from Large Developer: Randy Benderson on August 22, 2014 and then on a revised report on August 29, 2014 in the name of Anna Maria Associates LLC in Buffalo, NY Contributed $500 twice, and four Contributions from Recycle business owners The Brunni’s. Campaign Treasurers report June 5, 2014; Report: Contribution by Brunni AG Recycling LLC; Owner Scott Bruni of $1000, August 8: Scott Brunni contributed: $1000 and his business All American Executive Financial Services out of Bakersfield, CA contributed $1000 and on October 9, 2014 Mr. Bunni’s business contributed another $1000 ($4000 total). Connie Brunni confirmed her contributions in the Sun Article stating: “I come from a culture where if you have money and want good government then you contribute.” Yates stated according the Sun News, “I accept legal contributions gratefully, but do not expect anything back.” According to Brittany Lessar from the Florida Department of State, “reporting all campaign expenditures no matter where they are from is what is expected.” Disclosure is important for all officials either sitting or running for re-election. The alleged facts provided by Yates to The Phoenix were verbal only and the Phoenix launched a full investigation to ensure the facts were all founded. The facts are documented and they are available through public record as provided in this article. Puzzle Paper Company, documents received by the State of Ohio, Secretary and the Ohio Taxation Office show Puzzle Paper, Company owned and operated by Linda Yates, filed a D3- Form Issued Aug. 17, 2011 but Mrs. Yates never filed this form with the Secretary of State Ohio. According to the Secretary of State of Ohio: The D-3 should have been filed by Mrs. Yates in August, 2011 within 6 months of application. It was not. Therefore, the State of Ohio, secretary was not at fault, but Mrs. Yates was at fault. In Ohio, businesses have to file their taxation forms (D-3) with the Department of Taxation and then the business owner must send the completed D-3 to the Secretary of State themselves. The Sarasota Phoenix called the Ohio, Secretary of State to find out if Mrs. Yates sent in the form D-3 from August, 17, 2011 in compliance with her State License renewal. The Secretary noted they could not update her records until Mrs. Yates filed her D-3, and the D-3 according to the State of Ohio Taxation office is only good for 6 months. If not submitted to the state after 6 months, it has to be completed all over again. The Secretary of State, Ohio told the phoenix the form was not turned in until Oct. 1, 2014 and therefore the form had to be refiled with the Taxation office and then brought back to the State of Ohio Office all over again. After the Phoenix disclosed her corporation was not in good standing with the Secretary of State Ohio; Mrs. Yates found out the D-3 taxation form was not filed (her failure), she contacted the Department of Taxation and they created a new D-3 now good for 6 months and she sent it over to the Secretary of State; Ohio and cleared the business. When filing this form with the taxation office, she had to show that all taxes were paid to date. When we asked for a copy of such clearance and details of her taxes paid they would not comment due to the Ohio business taxation is not required to be transparent. Once Mrs. Yates provided the D3 to the Secretary of State in Ohio; the form was processed and the State of Ohio, Secretary posted the documents to the website, and updated her status 10/24/2014. The original form dated Aug. 2011; they posted, was NEVER received by Mrs. Yates until Oct. 1, 2014. Therefore, there is no time stamp on the document to show she submitted it on time in August, 2011. The Secretary of State: Ohio office was asked by the Phoenix: “Did you receive the August 2011 form in August, 2011 and the woman stated, “We never saw this form until Oct. 1, 2014. “ (See attachment). According to the taxation office, the form was null and void since it is only good for 6 months. When asked, the Department of Taxation said if this form was not submitted to the Secretary of State: Ohio, the business Puzzle Paper, Inc. was out of compliance. Therefore, the company was out of compliance and operating illegally between August 2011 and October 2014. Business owners are fully responsible in the State of Ohio for their own compliance. The lack there of was Mrs. Yates inability to maintain and follow procedures dictated by the Secretary of State: Ohio. The Taxation office handles all taxes of business; franchise and other. The taxes are no longer a corporate attachment to an entity. Taxation and Compliance are two different entities. The State of Ohio do not have transparency and the State does not have to share any of the tax statements with anyone outside of the owners. Therefore, we ask Mrs. Yates to step forward and share her tax statements from August 2011 to October 2014. A company must have a tax clearance to reinstate and the tax clearance is only good for 6 months. Therefore, she had to request for a new clearance, hers was outdated, and out of compliance. Next issue: The Financial Disclosure form for City Commissioner as well as Candidate for re-election: “Annual statement of Financial Interests: not being filed is an automatic fine of $25 each day it is late to a max of $1500: Sec. 112.3145, Florida Statutes In Addition, failure to make any required disclosure, constitutes grounds for and may be punishable by one or more of the following: disqualification from being on the ballot, impeachment, removal, or suspension from office or employment, demotion, reduction in salary, reprimand, or a civil penalty not exceeding $10,000 Sec. 112.317 Florida Statutes.” Secondary Source of income: sec 112.3145 intended for the disclosure of other sources of income to business which you own or have an interest. There are no financial disclosure forms filed by Linda Yates regarding her business Puzzle Paper, Inc or UFP, Inc. Although she admits to running the businesses and benefiting from the income which included payments from her campaign to the business in Ohio. The Phoenix never claimed running a business while a commissioner or candidate is illegal. Paying your business out of campaign raised fund is unethical. It is best to keep business and politics at arm’s length. Also the Phoenix did not claim that Mrs. Yates was not paying her home mortgage or taxes, we were stating the facts; her home was in foreclosure and recently was moved into a dismissed state, without prejudice. (The Bank came come back to refile Foreclosure). All taxes and mortgage payments are being made by Deutsche Bank National Trust and the American Home Mortgage Investment Trust Company. A City Commissioner makes decisions on citizens homeowner taxes, is it right that Mrs. Yates a sitting commissioner is NOT paying homeowner taxes yet imposing them on other homeowners? Ethics? There are many residents currently in foreclosure, short sale, and behind on their taxes. The economic loss due to this status has hit all tax payers in North Port. Many are seeing huge increases in taxes both from the County and the City. THE SARASOTA PHOENIX, INC P.O. Box 3894, Sarasota, FL 34230 (941) 202-2270 srqsarasotaphoenix@gmail Visit the Sarasota Phoenix on the Web at HTTP://THESARASOTAPHOENIX.COM
Posted on: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 19:42:52 +0000
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