The City of Los Angeles will stop at nothing to extort money!

It all started  at the end of 2014 when I took a subcontract to install some trim at a theater located within the grips of the City of LA.  We finished the project in early 2015 and I submitted my invoice to the contractor for payment.  As is required in many projects I take on, I needed to supply proof of a city business licence to the contractor before they would cut a check.  This task is usually very easy and can be done online or with a simple phone call and we do it all the time.  But then we are talking about the City of LA.

I tried to call but there were so many people waiting that the robot would not even let me hold.  I got on-line and after spending way too much time I finally found myself in the right spot.  I struggled through the form, entered a credit card payment, and submitted the application.  What usually happens is they give you a City Business License number and send you a certificate in the mail.  What I got instead was a form that said my application will be processed and is under review.  I did supply all this information to the General Contractor and was promptly paid 6 month later (save that for another post).  I never received a certificate from the city.

In the beginning of 2016 I received a bill for $170 from the City of LA to renew my city license for that year.  I was no longer doing business in the city so there was no need to renew the license and thus tossed it in the trash.  Several months later I get a notice to appear in court for delinquent taxes.  The City was suing me for not renewing the city licence.  I tried to call the city twice but was not able to get to a person.  I sent them an email and never got a response.  After several weeks of trying to get to the bottom of this, I grew tired and the problem fell further down on the to-do-list.

The city would not give up so easy.  I received a notice from a collection agency trying to collect on behalf of this dysfunctional government agency that you can’t get a hold of and has no customer service.  The city sold my $170 city tax bill for 2016 and MSB was trying to collect $1,747.27.  Ten fold the original bill.  This extortion was now at the top of the list.

I called the city and the robot said there was 840 people in front of me and I could leave a message.  To my surprise, I did get a call back that day.  I explained that I had only did a one time project in 2015 and did not need a 2016 city licence.  I went through the time frame, location, and dollar amount of the one project.  I had then learned that I am required to formally close my account or they consider it delinquent.  What I do find very interesting is there is nowhere on the bill/renewal to close or not renew for the following year.  I wonder why that is?  While talking to the city worker, we got my account closed and agreed on a penalty of $107.60, which would have to be mailed since they were incapable of emailing it.  I received the bill in a week and promptly paid it.

Several weeks later I get another Certified letter from the City of LA.  I had another court appearance for delinquent taxes for 2017.  They were suing me again for an account I had already closed-WTF.  In a rage of frustration I passed this task on to my office assistant as I was seemingly failing to resolve this.  When she called, there were over 1,100 people in front of her and she had to leave a message.  She missed the call back and had to start all over again.  After several attempts she was finally able to connect to a real person, assuming the staff at the City of LA could be considered as such.  She was told that the person I had talked to screwed up and did not close my account properly and it was still active.  And how is this my problem or my fault.  She was told that the account was now closed and they would contact the collection agency to stop the calls and resolve.

Well we are talking about government whose mission is to extort money from people to give to others and they want their money, as they must feel entitled.  I got a letter from my bank today.  The City of LA Garnished my bank account and charged me $177.12 for the licence which is closed, is not being used, and has now been paid twice.  They also added a $125 garnishment fee.  I am dumbfounded and considering getting a lawyer involved to get BIG BROTHER out of my life!  This should not happen in the United States.

Needless to say I will never do another project in the City of Los Angeles

The World According to Jeff!