Successful Day in Court
It was a successful day, Wednesday, July 15th at 500 Indiana Avenue for Trinidad Concerned Citizens for Reform, Inc. The Honorable Judge Joseph Beshouri granted an extension for TCCR to redeem the property at 1601 Montello Avenue, TCCR’s planned green job resource center for the community. The building was donated to the community on behalf of TCCR by Wilhelmina Lawson, the nonprofit’s co-founder and Executive Director, but was sold at a tax sale to Embassy Tax Suite after TCCR’s registered agent failed to deliver notices that the property was being taxed by the City wrongfully as though a nonprofit was not occupying the lot.
Beshouri granted the extension on the grounds that Embassy Tax Services had not yet fully served the defendants, namely one Brenda Rose who Embassy Tax Services’ lawyer says they’ve been searching for for the past year to no avail and will serve via public notice as a final effort. Brenda Rose is named on the Deed of Trust.
Beshouri also considered that Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr. provided a letter of support promising assistance in rectifying the near $15,000 owed in taxes. “I am working diligently with the District’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer to resolve this issue, and I am exploring all possible legislative remedies with our General Counsel and Budget Office.”
It is expected that the next court date, October 7th will result in the loss of the property if TCCR is unable to come up with the monies owed, including more than $4,000 in legal fees by then. Lawson is confident a solution will be found. “The community wants it,” she says of the center.