Subject: CLEARWATER TAX SCAM
From: Anonymous
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 19:13:07 +0200 (CEST)

CLEARWATER TAX SCAM

The Flag Service Org of the COS owns a number of properties in the Clearwater, Florida (Pinellas County) area. Among them are:

1850 North Fort Harrison Avenue, Clearwater, Florida 34615-1712, a 50 unit hotel/motel built in 1955 with concrete block construction and stucco walls, and a pool. The two buildings totalling 17108 square feet sit on a 36,960 square foot lot. This property had a total assessed value of $1,204,000 in 1997, and the COS was exempted from $714.44 in taxes in 1997.

500 Cleveland Avenue, Clearwater Florida 34615-4006, is owned and used by the COS Flag Service Organization, although it is registered in the name of the Southern Land Development & Leasing Corporation, a Delaware chartered corporation registered in the state of Georgia with Dale Moore as CEO, Richard Merwin as CFO and John McGinley as Secretary.

500 Cleveland Avenue was purchased for $604,500 in November 1981 and the deed was reocrded on December 1, 1981. It is a general office building with a total assessed value in 1995 of $338,500. The total assessed value was $1,554,000 in 1996, as a large addition was constructed. Total assessed value in 1997 was $1,547,200. For tax year 1995, the tax amount was $8,136,39, and for tax year 1996 the tax amount was $6,305.61 ($6266.61 in 1997), but being a tax exempt organization, the COS did not have to pay any of those amounts. The office building was built in 1918, with a building area of 20,625 square feet on a lot size of 34,920 square feet, and 13 bathrooms (lots of toilets to flush incriminating evidence in the event of a problem). There are a couple of inconsistencies in the descriptions. This is the location where they have kept quite a bit of their Clearwater business paperwork. They use the mailing address P.O. Box 31751, Tampa, Florida 33631-3751 to disguise some transactions.

They own 200 North Osceola Avenue, Clearwater, Florida 34615-4032, which was purchased for $2,489,000 and the deed was recorded on December 1, 1981. In 1995, the total assessed value was $5,194,700 ($1,504,800 in assessed land value and $3,689,900 in assessed improvement/building value). In 1996 and 1997, the total assessed value was slightly less. Of course, assessments are irrelevant because they are tax exempt: The COS was exempt from $33,713.01 in property taxes in 1995 for this property. and exempt from $32,798.80 in 1997. This motel, built in 1965, has 95 units. There is a pool and a garage and three buildings. The building area is 53,427 square feet.

The COS Flag Service Org also owns a tax exempt motel property at 551 North Saturn Avenue, Clearwater, Florida 34615-5500, which they bought in June 1986 for $4,607,000. Oddly enough, the previous owners had paid $5,400,000 in December 1982. This building had in 1995 a total assessed value of $4,848,800 ($880,000 in land and $3,968,800 in improvements/building), and the same assessment value in 1996 and 1997. They were exempt from $25,690.88 in property taxes in 1995, and exempt from $25,503.52 in taxes in 1996. This is a large motel complex constructed in 1972 with 200 units, a pool and two buildings totalling 207,444 square feet of building area.

The COS Flag Service Org also owns a large tax exempt motel property at 1024 Cleveland Street, Clearwater, Florida 34615-4514. They purchased the property for $938,000 in November 1981, registered the deed on December 1, 1981. Oddly enought, the previous owner had bought the property for $950,000 in 1979. In 1995, the total assessed value of the property was $1,217,100, but the property is tax exempt so the COS was exempted from paying $29,254.95 in property taxes in 1995. In 1996, the total assessed value is $1,218,300 and the taxes exempted were $29,079.12. In 1997, the total assessed value was $1,219,900 and the tax exemption was $29,064.85. The motel was built in 1970 and has 54 units in one building. The lot size is 12000 square feet and the building area is 20680 square feet. The walls are stucco.

The COS Flag Service Org also owns a large tax exempt motel property at 118 North Fort Harrison Avenue, Clearwater, Florida 34615-4019, which was purchased in November 1981 for a price of $661,000. Oddly enough, the previous owner had bought the property for $765,000 in 1979. The total assessed value was $782,200 in 1995, and $769,500 in 1996, and $756,700 in 1997. The COS is exempt from property taxes. The building was built in 1928, and has a building area of 13,464 square feet.

The COS Flag Service Org also owns a huge tax exempt large motel property at 210 South Fort Harrison Avenue, Clearwater, Florida 34615-4019, which was purchased in November 1981 for a price of $3,907,000, and the deed was recorded on December 1, 1981. The previous owner had bought the property for $2,300,000 in 1975. The total assessed value for tax year 1995 was $10,923,600, including $1,989,700 in land value and $8,933,900 in building improvements. In 1996, the amount was the same, and the COS was exempted from $70,397.33 in taxes. In 1997, the total assessed value was $11,498,800 ($2,012,300 in assessed land value and $9,486,500 in assessed building/improvement value), and the taxes exempted were $73,970.86. The motel was built in 1924, has 323 units, a pool, includes three buildings, with a tile roof, stucco walls and a building area of 156,062 square feet.

The COS Flag Service Org also owns another tax exempt property at 109 North Fort Harrison Avenue, Clearwater, Florida 34615-4020, which was purchased in November 1981 for a price of $104,000. The total assessed value was $154,800 in 1995, nd the total assessed value in 1996 and 1997was the same. The building has a building area of 5625 square feet with 3.0 bathrooms.

The COS Flag Service Org also owns a large tax exempt office property at 25 North Fort Harrison Avenue, Clearwater, Florida 34615-4016, which was purchased in November 1981 for a price of $604,500. Oddly enough, the previous owner had bought the property for $765,000 in 1979. The total assessed value was $181,200 in 1995. The COS was exempted from $4,355.43 in property taxes in 1995. The building is 5625 square feet.

The COS Flag Service Org also owns a property at 15 North Fort Harrison Avenue, Clearwater, Florida 34615-4016. They bought this property in November 1981 for a price of $604,500, and recorded the deed on December 1, 1981. The prior owner had paid $550,000 in 1975. In 1995, the total assessed value was $196,000, but the property is tax exempt and thus the COS did not have to pay the $4711.17 in property taxes for 1995. The building was built in 1910, and is 7500 square feet in area.

The COS Flag Service Org, Inc. also owns a motel property at 16432 US Highway 19 North, Clearwater, Florida 34625-6704. It was purchased in November 1981 for a price of $1,832,000, and the deed was recorded on December 1, 1981. The previous owner had purchased it in 1979 for $1,888,000. It had a total assessed value of $1,745,200 in 1995, and the COS was exempted from $6,797.77 in taxes in 1995, $7,359.43 in 1996. The building was constructed in 1975, with 118 units, three buildings, and a lot size of 3.08 acres, and a building area of $21,984. In 1996, the total assessed value was $1,906,200. In 1997, total assessed value was $1,836,300.

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