December 18, 2013
Mr. Freeborne:
In 2011 I received many robo calls from the Pinnacle Tax that has been brought into Authority Tax Services [ATS]. Within the past month, ATS has robo-called my cell-phone at least 6 times, including twice on 12-17-13. I have never given the requisite express consent required under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, 47 USC section 227 (b) (3), nor written permission to cold-call per section 227 (c )(3). Is there a special exemption for robo-calling or cold-calling if one is a licensed tax professional? I haven't seen it in section 227 but may be it's time for new glasses!
The two 12-17-13 robo-calls came from a call centre in Colorado calling itself Tax Resolution Center, using spoofed numbers with CA area codes. The persons calling were salespersons. I would never use a company like Pinnacle or ATS which has so little regard for the Do Not Call laws.
I had tax liens on my property that were paid off when I sold my home, but I still have lots of tax issues, including unfiled returns and minimal payments.
When a Notice of Default was recorded against my home in May 2013, the telemarketing calls started w/in 5 days of the recording date. Needless to say I did not want to pay upfront fees to a loan modification or "foreclosure rescue" outfit that will likely disappear like many of the tax firms which have telemarketed me in the past 4 years.
Please DO NOT use my name if you publish the part of my letter referencing the robo-calls and telemarketing. My feeling is that these companies need to talk to a judge if their telemarketing activities are illegal.
Sincerely,
B. R.
