Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/17/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My tax situation was not resolved

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/26/2023

  Attached, please find the following:

  1. Service Agreement signed by **************;

  2. Letter/Fax from *** Offer Specialist *** dated January 11, 2023;

  3. Email String between ************** and Fortress staff;

  4. Letter from *** Offer Specialist *** dated March 8, 2023 indicating ************** Offer in Compromise was returned due to failure of the taxpayer to submit all requested information.

  5.  Copy of an email from *************************** to ************** dated January 11th, 2023.

  When ************** hired Fortress on January 14, 2022, one of the contractual obligations ************** agreed to was to "(p)rovide all requested documents and/or information to Fortress (and/or the taxing authorities if applicable) by the date due" (See page 2, item 5 of attached Service Agreement signed by **************).

  After hiring Fortress, Fortress staff prepared and submitted an Offer in Compromise on behalf of ************** with the goal of settling her tax liability. On January 11, 2023, *** Offer Specialist, ***********************, faxed Fortress attorney, *************************** a request for information and documentation. Among the requested documents was the last 4 months bank statements from 4 different bank accounts associated with ************** (see attached Letter/Fax from *** Offer Specialist *** dated January 11, 2023).  That same day, Fortress attorney, ***************************, emailed ************** a list of documents that the *** was requiring and informed ************** that her Offer would be returned if she failed to meet the deadline set by the *** (see attached 2023.01.11.email.**************pdf). 

  On January 19th, 2023, ******************************* assistant, *****************************, faxed the documentation that ************** provided to Fortress to Offer Specialist *** along with an explanation that ************** was unable to provide bank statements for accounts ending in ****, ****, and ****.

  On February 3rd, ********** communicated to *************************** that she required more information regarding the aforementioned bank accounts. That day, ***************************** initiated a string of emails with ************** (see attached 2023.07.25.email.string.pdf). While this string of emails addressed some of the issues regarding the aforementioned bank accounts (which was relayed to *** Offer Specialist ***), ************** did not provide banks statements for bank account(s) she was associated with that were in her mother's name. Note that *************************** emailed (part of attached email string) ************** on February 7th, 2023 and stated "even despite you not being a signer on these accounts, the *** will want details on accounts where cash has been deposited in your account from your account."  Following this email from *************************** to **************, ************** failed to provide the required documentation or any further documentation whatsoever. 

  Not surprisingly, the *** returned **************' Offer in Compromise citing "(w)e have not received all of the required information" as a reason for returning the Offer" (see attached 2023.3.8. OIC returned info needed.pdf). 

  **************' failure to provide required information/documentation was a breach of the contract she signed with Fortress (see attached Service Agreement, page 2, item 5), and it prevented Fortress from delivering the services it was contracted to perform. Since ************** failed to uphold her obligation to provide all required information (which resulted in the return of her Offer in Compromise), *************************** explained to ************** on March 16th, 2023 that Fortress would be willing to try filing a new Offer in Compromise, and that the fee for doing so would be $5,000.  As an alternative, *************************** offered via to pursue setting up an Installment Agreement as an alternative on March 17th, 2023 for a fee of $3,000. 

  ************** neither instructed ****** as to which option she wished to pursue nor paid either of the requested fees. Nor did ************** respond to ******'s last voice message for her. Consequently, Fortress closed **************' file in May of 2023.

  Fortress remains willing to file a new Offer on behalf of ************** upon payment of $5,000 or to pursue an Installment Agreement on behalf of ************** upon payment of $3,000.