| How an accountant can RIP you OFF! Read my true story (Law Court case number: 08-CV-0876) before you decide to do business with this accountant. This CPA was taking care of my private and business taxes for 8 years until I decided to go back to France. This is about what I want to warn you especially single, senior ladies. He will become your friend, take you to lunch, visit you at your retirement home, make sure you do not have any family, like me I am from France, so I do not have family here, in Colorado. After some good advices, where you made a nice little profit on his advice, some trust develop: so when my CPA asked me to help finance a restaurant for his client, who was a chef at a local eatery and needed to move to Arizona where his parents resided. He came with a plan, that would be beneficial for all of us. I would have to refinance my house, I am European, I like to know that my house is paid for. I had some cash, but he convince me, it was much better for me to refinance: I needed the deduction. We all went to Arizona and found the perfect property. The refinancing on my home, started Mortgage lender, CPA, Notary, me, were present. I am a business woman and I had started my business in 1971. being a French (English is my third language) I still feel insecure with important papers to sign, so my helpful CPA, showed me where to sign or put my initials. And THREE QUIT CLAIM DEEDS of all my properties in Colorado became HIS properties. Notary job description is to make sure that you understand what you are signing. The notary never ask if I understood that I was giving away all my properties!She claims she did, but realtor under oath said he never knew I owned all these real estate properties. The notary said all those quit claim deeds were not prepared by her. She just put her seal and signed them. The Notary and my CPA knew each other before... I do not know how well? Later she said that she lost her notary book that she is suppose to keep. A few months later as I was getting ready to put my properties for sale I start receiving tax notices with my CPA name on my properties. I contacted my lawyer who informed me that... YES, CPA has my quit claim deeds. After 3 years of lawyer judge orders Mediation. Mediator tells me: of course, they know it is a fraud, CPA claims it was a gift. The Mediator says it was CPA's fiduciary duty NOT to accept as I was not rich enough for such a gift to make. Why would I give all my retirement away? This individual is still in business! The law will not go after him, but they will go after woman who marries two men and a man who kicks a policeman car!!! My mistake was TRUST and NOT VERIFY. |
