EllisPenn & O'Connor, Inc.

Hello Ms [redacted] I would like to forward you the below email in reference to my case, #[redacted]. It is an insult on the part of Ellis Penn and O'[redacted] to simply send a blank email to me with an attached document that is far from a resolve or what I paid them for. Thank you.Regards,[redacted]Sent from my [redacted]Begin forwarded message:From: [redacted] <[redacted]>Date: May 21, 2015 at 1:55:25 PM EDTTo: [redacted]Subject: Fwd: ProposalHello Mr [redacted], The below email is the one that Michael O'[redacted] of Ellis Penn sent to me. This email is far from any resolution or what I paid $11,000 for. His email is further proof as to his lack of professionalism and that of his firm. It is merely fluff in an effort to get the Revdex.com complaint closed as they have sneakily and underhandedly done. Regards,[redacted]Sent from my [redacted]Begin forwarded message:From: "Michael O'[redacted]" <[redacted]>Date: May 4, 2015 at 3:16:15 PM EDTTo: [redacted] <[redacted]>Subject: ProposalIRS ProposalMichael O'[redacted] | Senior Vice PresidentPhone:  ###-###-#### Ext. 105  Fax:       ###-###-####Email:   [redacted]Web:     www.ellispenn.com

April 6, 2015
Dear [redacted],We are
respectfully responding to the Better Business Complaint filed by Mr. Scott
Overfield.Client
enrolled in our services 11/12/14 for IRS representation for the Business only,
the retainer for our services were $2579. For the comfort...

of our clients we
give them the option of making payments rather than to pay the full fee
upfront.The
client elected to take advantage of this option and chose to pay the retainer
fee in two installments $1289 11/12/14 and the remaining balance 11/29/15.The
client still had difficulty with his card declining even smaller amounts.We have
made every effort to protect our client from the IRS for his business and him
personally, as well as for his business with the state of Kansas. The client
repeatedly refused to submit the documents required by both taxing authorities
to allow us to negotiate any type of resolution. All we were able to do is to
hold them off with our stay of enforced collection action that our Powers of
Attorney provide.  We drafted an Appeal
for Revenue Officer [redacted] that the client failed to sign and return to us for
submission.We
prepared and submitted a Collection Due Process for client and was successful in being granted a
hearing.  The client failed to
comply with the request for financial information and documentation therefore
we could not effectively represent our client for the hearing.We have
shown that we afford our clients flexibility by offering payment plans and the
ability to take advantage of delayed initial payment. We have shown and
submitted documentation to support that we made every effort to serve our
client to the best of our ability given the limited cooperation of [redacted].We
respectfully request that the complaint be closed and that [redacted] no
longer have the ability to slander our company.If you
have any questions, or concerns regarding this matter please do not hesitate to
contact me.Regards,Dana B

[redacted] retained our services on September 3, 2015 to represent the company [redacted] dba [redacted]. The contract signed by [redacted] clearly states the clients’ responsibilities and important factors that are necessary from our clients for our firm to be successful with their...

resolution. Please review the section on our contract:Client will be responsible for the following:Client will comply with all requests, calls/emails requests for documents, missing returns and staying Current and Compliant from the date of the initial contract. Client will also agree upon EllisPenn & O’Connor Inc.’s instructions to meet all deadlines and inform EllisPenn & O’Connor, Inc. immediately upon default of this or of any plan negotiated. If the client circumvents EllisPenn & O’Connor, Inc. and contacts the revenue officer/agent without written permission, it will be considered a breach of contract and all negotiations will be halted; EllisPenn & O’Connor, Inc. will revoke all powers of attorney and the client will forfeit all money paid and any remaining money due to EllisPenn & O’Connor, Inc. will become due immediately. If services are paid by credit card, all applicable processing fees will be charged additionally.On February 19, 2016 our firm was made aware that [redacted] had breached his contract with us when he had direct contact with the Revenue Officer Moore. This action on [redacted] part caused our efforts to be halted and damaged when our Power of Attorney was bypassed.[redacted] stressed to our firm that he wanted a payment plan for $75.00 a month. Our efforts to complete on this agreement were greatly damaged when [redacted] agreed to pay $200 directly with the Revenue Officer and supplied financial documentation. Once a client circumvents our Powers of Attorney we are no longer obligated to continue our representation as per the signed contract upon hiring our firm.We ask that this complaint not be posted and removed due to the fact that our firm met our contractual obligations and that [redacted] in fact breached the contract with direct contact with the Revenue Officer.Please see attached the supporting documentation and time tracked worked on [redacted]’s case.Best Regards,Dana B

Review: I contacted ellis penn to assist in a tax matter. They made a million promises and after wastin a thousand dollars they started asking for more money and excuses why they cant deliver. They tured it all around, they made statements to me with gaurantees to me to get my money , then they came back with all sorts of stories why they cant do it. the bottom line is if they didnt promise me definate results, I would not give them $1000. I got nothing except the run around. It was very easy to propisition me and others when they are faceing a tax problem, it was easy for them to make all different promises, ( even spoke to owner of company to help SEAL THE DEAL). this is a total scam . IRS AGENTS ALSO SAID THAT THIS IS THE OLDES SCAM IN THE BOOK.Desired Settlement: I called them and since they were completely unable to do anything, I asked for half my money back. THEY REFUSED. They could not do what they promised

Consumer

Response:

they are to slick for that. They never gave me bill or receipt of payment, payment was credit card info passed over phone

Business

Response:

June 2, 2014To

Whom It May Concern,The purpose of this

correspondence is to address the Revdex.com Complaint filed by [redacted].On February 25, 2014, the client

came on board with our firm to help with his business tax liability it the

amount of approximately $18,000. When

the client first came on board he was very adamant about not supplying us

financial information. We request all clients to provide us financial documents

in order to negotiate the lowest payment plan possible. The client wanted to

set up an Express Installment Agreement, which you do not have to provide

financials for. Although the client qualifies for an Express Installment

Agreement, what he didn’t understand is that it must be paid within 24 months.

That would put his agreement at $760-770 per month. Our client indicated he

only wanted to pay approximately $150 per month. With that being said, we

explained that we had to show the IRS verification of only being able to afford

that amount. On April 4th, we

finally received the financial information back, however, it was not complete. This

documentation was asked to be returned to our office by March 5th. Receiving this documentation over a month

late forced us to requests multiple holds on collection action with the IRS. When

the client came on board with our firm, he had already missed a deadline with

his Revenue officer. Deadline was to provide missing return(s) and financials

by February 12, 2014. When a deadline is missed with the IRS, it leaves you

open to enforcement action, which includes bank levies. On April 11th, we

spoke to the client regarding the missing information on his financial

documents. We stated we needed this

information so we can move forward with our proposal for a payment plan with

the IRS. We also informed the client

that the IRS wanted to pursue him personally for a portion of the business tax

debt. The client refused our request to

help with his personal issues. The

client was very difficult to work with and had a very poor history with the

IRS. We worked very hard in attempting

to change the client’s perception with the IRS but it became very difficult

each time a new deadline was missed. For this client to claim our

company is a scam is not only untruthful but flat out ridiculous. Our firm worked for free for the majority of

his case. It took our company over 30

days to secure the $981 contracted payment to our firm. The client had us run his credit card over 15

times knowing that the payment would not clear. This was done intentionally to obtain free

work from our firm. This effectively hurt our relationship with the bank. This proves that our firm went above and

beyond to help and protect the client from the IRS. To be perfectly honest the only scam going on

is from the client who tried to trick us into doing free work. We have spent more than 30 hours of work on

this case because the client’s lack of cooperation. We are requesting that this Revdex.com complaint to

be removed immediately. Please contact me directly if you

have any questions regarding this correspondence, or should you require any

additional information or documentation.Respectfully,

Review: I acquired Ellis Penn to represent me in my federal tax liability in late Aug.2012. I paid $1200+ upfront. They promised to remove liens, reduce my tax liability, etc. However as of May 23,2013 they abruptly sent me a letter stating to longer represent me AND made no mention of returning ANY funds to me. My tax liability & liens are STILL in full effect to date.Desired Settlement: I would like Ellis Penn to do the honorable thing and return ALL of my funds for NON-RENDERING OF SERVICES.

Business

Response:

This client came on with our firm back in August of 2012. The client wanted a payment arrangement with the IRS. The IRS demands financial documentation and for all past and future tax returns to be filed before they will accept a payment arrangement. This client provided some financial documentation and some of the missing tax returns that we were able to purpose a $100 payment plan. The IRS then request additional documentation and the remaining missing returns before accepting this arrangement. We continued to hold off all collection action from the IRS while we attempted to obtain this documentation from the client. This resulted in us filing multiple appeals to protect the client. Month after month we wrote letters and left numerous messages for the client explaining the urgency and the importance of this documentation. The client never responded. We sent the client numerous lack of contact letters too. Still no response. We finally had to inform the client that we had to close his case. Our firm will not refund any money as we went above and beyond what we were contracted for. This client paid our firm $1021 for a case that should have last no more then 45 days. Now a year later we hear back from this client after 8 months of work, 6 of which were free to the client! We are requesting that this claim be closed and removed from our record. If the client decides to keep pursing his requests, we will be demanding compensation for the 6 months of work we did on his behalf.

Review: We hired this company to help us resolve a tax issue. We paid the fees as requested and after one year no resolution. Our company received a levy and when I contacted them it took two days to get a phone conversation. This company filed an appeal on the sixth, but they were contacted on the fifth. On the seventh when I spoke with them they said they filed an appeal to get levy released. After one year of no results I contacted a new company and I hired them for about the same fee. Within 24 hours the levy was released, but not because of the appeal from the Ellis Penn company. I was provided proof of this. As of today we have a payment plan that was very satisfactory. This took only a few days compared to a year of nothing happening and always requesting more money. With new company had to submit same information as was submitted to Ellis Penn. We feel like we are due a refund from Ellis Penn.Desired Settlement: A refund of amount paid

Business

Response:

We probably could have predicted this complaint over a year ago. This

client came on board with us after having a bad experience with another

firm. In the process of protecting this

client from the IRS and submitting multiple proposals over the last year and a

half we also helped this client with their Revdex.com complaint against their previous

firm. Once we informed the client how to

perform a Revdex.com complaint we had a feeling they would use the same tactics

against us. Our proposal for this client

was recently rejected because they made too much money for our proposal and

they are also commingling funds, paying personal bills from the business

account. The IRS decided because of this

they would pursue a levy on their bank account.

We immediately appealed and we won the appeal giving the client the

money back that the IRS captured free of charge to the client. The client now claims to have a hired another

company and they released the levy which is not true. We have attached a letter that we sent to the

client yesterday. We are requesting that

the Revdex.com help us with protection from clients who are misleading in their

claims.

Best regards,

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

Regards,

Business

Response:

There is no response to this clients rejection. We are requesting this complaint to be removed.

Review: Ellis and penn had promise to resolve the problem within 2 months and it has been almost three months. now they are asking for money to change the payment plan which they didnt even do that, I had consulted the irs prior to ellis and peen and now they are saying that they did that work. In reality ellis has not done anything, they have not proven anything and according to the last answer they gave me was that they were waitiing for the irs to respond. now they are charging an extra retainer to lower payment plan. ellis had told me for me not to make the june 20th payment to the irs so they can lower payment.

Business

Response:

This appears to be a case of a client attempting to get free work out of us. After the client filed his Revdex.com complaint he contacted us and stated he would remove this complaint but started asking us to take on additional services. We are requesting this Revdex.com complaint to be removed. Here is a brief history of the case:

Review: The company promised to help me reduce my tax liability. I signed a contract to reduce my taxes . I had two separate ashes. One for back payroll taxes the other for current taxes with a business being sold. The company started to charge me in January 2012. Ellis penn was charging me 1000 per month.in August 2012 I sold my business and agreed to pay all the necessary taxes for the sold business. I arranged this directly with the IRS . Even though this happened Ellis Penn still charged me and threatened numerous times to not help me if I couldn't keep up the payments.I was egged along to continue paying so that Ellis Penn could abate the interest and penalties. Then , a new contract form 1200 to monitor my account needs to be signed and paid.

I consistently asked what could be done and was always told by [redacted] my tax representative that they would talk to the IRS agent and lower the penalties.

She was always nice until I continued to question her as to what her company will do?

This company is a absolute fraud with no legal authority to do anything outsidenscuringba power of attorney over your account and cashing your checks.

They claim o be Revdex.com rated but only by changing their name of the company and paying for rated service.

Total Scam

Stay awayDesired Settlement: Refund

Business

Response:

Please review the attached letter regarding the clients complaint. We would really like to help this client resolve his case but we like every business cannot do free work. Please let us know if there is anythig else we can do to help you.

Best Regards,

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 9435388, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. -----Original Message-----

From: [redacted]

To: a[redacted]

Sent: Tue, Feb 26, 2013 1:31 pm

Subject: Re: Fwd: Fw: You have a new message from the Revdex.com of Metro

Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania in regards to your complaint

#[redacted]

-----Original Message-----

From: [redacted]

To: [redacted]

Sent: Tue, Feb 26, 2013 1:31 pm

Subject: Re: Fwd: Fw: You have a new message from the Revdex.com of Metro

Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania in regards to your complaint

#9435388.

Dear [redacted] , I am writing to let you know that this morning I was

contacted by the company Ellis Penn. they were very agreeable in

helping me abate my tax liability and assist me in any way they are

able. It seems as though they will bewailing to help and that agree

that I will withdraw my complaint against them . They were willing to

assist at their expense and I was very satisfied .

Thank you for your help

Regards,

Review: I received several calls from this company offering to help resolve our tax issues with the IRS. I was given the impression that a levy was being placed against my accounts, I arranged payment services, signed all appropriate documents in May 2013. I did not hear any more from Ellis Penn. Then In July 2013 a levy was placed against my accounts which rendered me unable to operate. I contacted Ellis Penn, was told they were "unaware" of this matter and asked me to fax over the IRS information. I was again assured they would take care of the matter. They didn't. At this point it was obvious they had done nothing on my behalf. I then contacted the IRS agent who informed me that he had no contact from them at all as they claimed. I was then put in a position to try to negotiate to have the levy released. I still had no response from this company even after repeated calls. I was forced to close my business I have left messages regarding return of my information and money and then contacted Ellis Penn again January 7, and was told they apologized and assured that she would look over my file and call me by 12 noon the following day, I was asked to fax over my correspondence to the IRS and they would send my another Power of Attorney,I did so I received no call the following day and called them again and left another message on the person's voice mail. Instead of receiving a return call as promised, I received a copy of a letter they sent to the IRS stating they were no longer representing me as of January 6, 2014 January 15, 2014.Desired Settlement: I requested and have not received a refund of my money. They made no contacts after sending Power of Attorney to IRS.

Business

Response:

February 4, 2014RE: Revdex.com ComplaintEllisPenn originally contracted with [redacted] on May 7, 2013. Client signed on for a fee of $1,541. Client agreed to pay half on May 10, 2013 and the remaining balance on May 24, 2013. Client did honor her first payment with our company, but could not make the payment for the remaining balance on the 24th.Our correspondence with [redacted] started immediately. On May 9, 2013 she was given a complete breakdown of her liability owed to the IRS. In this notice we explained that it was crucial for her to complete a 990 and that her deadline was quickly approaching. We gave the due date of May 15, 2013. In this notice we also stressed the importance to make all federal tax deposits in full and timely to stay current and compliant. On this same day we sent a request for her to complete the form 433-B and submit coded bank statements by May 16, 2013. On May 15, 2013 [redacted] called into our office and stated that she would not be able to meet our deadline of May 16. [redacted] stated that she had a 433-B and would submit it on May 20, the following Monday. On that Monday [redacted] requested that we split the remaining balance into two payments for May 24th and 31st. We agreed and stressed again the importance of getting the documents that we requested. She was unable to find the 433-B and stated she would fill out a new one and would send us the bank statements when she got back into her office. During the following weeks [redacted] did not stay Current and Compliant as we directed her to. On July 19, 2013 we alerted her of a Levy notice for $52K. We explained the importance of Federal Tax Deposits after each payroll, she was adamant that she was unable to make her deposits. Our company was able to hold off the IRS from aggressive collection action for over 60 days. Due to missed Federal Tax Deposit the Revenue officer assigned would not allow the business to continue to operate without making the deposits and filing the necessary returns. Our office explained to [redacted] the necessary documents that we would need from her to try and negotiate the release of the levy and for her business to stay open.The client advised us that she verbally revoked our power of attorney with the Revenue Officer. Her verbal request ceased our ability to represent the business. The client’s decision to communicate with the Revenue Officer is a direct violation of our contract and effectively ended our working relationship. Our firm went above and beyond to take on this client’s case, even after the initial payment kept bouncing. For the client to state we made no communication with the IRS is a complete fabrication and a poor attempt to obtain a refund. The client did not follow through on providing us the documentation the IRS required in order to obtain a payment arrangement. We are requesting that this complaint be removed. Thanks

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because: They are lying totally, first of all I paid them $1,750.00, they said it had to be in two installments. They sought me out, I responded because they said a levy was scheduled to hit my account on May 10, 2014. I agreed to the terms out of fear, and requested that they hold the second payment because I had to meet the payroll and tax obligation. The lady I spoke to agreed, instead they went ahead and put it through my bank, when I contacted her regarding this matter as it caused great problems I was told by her that they would refund it to my account in 5 days. I spoke with the Bank with the young lady on the other line. My bank receipts support that. In addition the 433-B form had a lot of things on it that I needed to gather that is why I asked for time. Secondly, They NEVER contacted me regarding the levy, I called the office and spoke directly with their person they assigned to me and she requested that I send it in because "they had no notice of this". They did not hold off the IRS at all as I said in my prior complaint The revenue agent told me that he had NOT received any communications from them outside of the Power of Attorney form. He (IRS) stated this was why the levy was filed. During all of this time no one would return calls in a timely manner and after the levy it was clear to me that they were not doing anything for me but taking my money. This is why I contacted the IRS myself to attempt to have the levy removed so that I could operate my business. The levy was removed after I spoke with the agent. This agency did nothing to assist. It was in January of 2014 that I made a final call to their office after hearing nothing past the time their agent was going to (contact the agent and get right back to me in 2013) that I told her I was disappointed in their lack of service and was forced to take matters into my own had to save my operations. She asked me to fax them over the letter (which I did) that I sent to the IRS and that she would send me another Power of Attorney form and was deeply apologetic that I had endured what I had. She also said she would get back to me by 12 noon, I'm still waiting. It was not until I receive a letter from the IRS stating that Ellis Penn wrote them and said I was no longer their client as of January 2014. They are attempting to cover themselves with lies. Their last statement of my initial payment bouncing is not true at all. (Bank statements). I am quite sure that the IRS agent will again state he had no contact with them just like I stated. I have no reason to lie. They never did an work for me finally, they never sent any correspondence to me stating they received my information, what the determination was nothing.. My decision to contact the IRS agent was a direct result of their never doing anything and my receiving a levy which EFFECTIVELY STOPPED MY operations. I had no choice but to make contact them. My complaint seems to be the same one that others have filed against this company, they appear to have a history of taking money and never following through. Peoples lively hood are at stake, if they are not going to do anything, they should not be taking money from people who are in need. I honestly thought they would help but all they did was cause more pain and suffering and now to lie is unforgivable. God have mercy on them

Regards,