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After these three conversations I didn't receive any more calls for months.
Then on August 21, 1998 I received a call at work from a woman who said she was
with the Internal Revenue Service and stated that she wanted to ask me some
questions regarding my dispute with the IRS.
I explained my situation with the local government. I then explained to her
that my attorney, Art James, had thrown several cases for the local government
and admitted to committing a felony. I told her everything. I told her that
when I went after Art James in court, I ended up getting audited by everyone,
including the IRS. I also told her, flat-out, that the pounding I received from
the IRS was nothing more than a political favor. This conversation lasted about
twenty to thirty minutes. After I finished telling her how I felt, she calmly
told me that she would look into the matter and get back to me.
Before hanging up, I asked her if she would tell me what her name was, so
that I could keep a record of our conversations. Before she answered, I asked
her if she was going to give me her "pretend name" or her real name.
She chuckled and said that her real name was Agnes Lucas. She even gave me her
work number.
I do want to say, in all fairness, that as much as I hate the IRS, Agnes was
the most polite and reasonable person I had ever attempted to reason with from
the IRS.
On September 4, 1998, Agnes called me at work for the second time. She
explained that she wanted to ask me several more questions, which I answered.
After answering her questions, Agnes asked me if I thought it would be better
for me if I just forgot about writing this book and just paid more attention to
my daughter Lauren, who was seven years old. After she made that comment, I
explained to her in no uncertain terms that it was the IRS's fault that I was
visiting Lauren instead of living with her, and worse, she now calls someone
else "Dad." And if that's not enough, I get another branch of the
government dictating to me when I can visit my daughter and how much money I
must pay for her support. And once again, I have no say in the matter. I told
Agnes that there was no way in hell that I was ever going to forget and forgive
them for that.
I told Agnes that she had seemed until then to be a decent person, so I
asked her not to take this personally: I told her that I despised the IRS so
much I had taken over six years out of my life to write a book about my
experience with them. I told her my goal in life now was to try and put the IRS
out of business-- legally, of course.
I closed the conversation by telling her that I refused to believe that
someone like the IRS was allowed to operate in America. After allowing me the
"courtesy" to say what I had to say (if that's what it was) she said
she would do some more research and get back to me.
This conversation lasted about ten or fifteen minutes. I also want to say
that at no time during these conversations was I ever rude or abusive in any
manner to Agnes. On the other hand, I didn't pull any punches either. I told
her what I honestly felt.
I also want to say, in all fairness, that Agnes appeared to be a sincere and
reasonable person--not what I’d come to expect from the IRS. Based on my
experiences with the IRS, people working for them were nothing more than
professional hypocrites who one second pretend they want to help you, and in
the next second slit your throat with a smile on their face. I don't know where
the IRS finds people like this, but they do.
My next conversation with Agnes was on September 15, 1998. I just happened
to be at my desk when I received a page that I had a call. I answered the page
and it was Agnes. She started the conversation by asking me how I was feeling
today. I responded by asking her why she would be calling me to ask how I was
feeling.
I didn't want to come across as argumentative but it somewhat throws you off
guard when the IRS calls and asks you a question like that. I mean, you think
to yourself, "Is something bad about to happen to me?" Is the storm
about to hit?
Agnes answered by saying that the last time she talked with me I seemed very
upset. She added that, from what she could tell, none of this should have ever
happened to me. She finished by telling me that her recommendation to the IRS
legal counsel was that the IRS was wrong and that they should abate the
penalties and interest and refund any monies that I had paid toward these
assessments.
I can't begin to put into words how I felt at that moment. For once I was
speechless. I had waited fourteen years to hear those words. On the one hand I
was thrilled beyond belief. On the other hand, I looked at reality and where I
was in life and the thrill abruptly ended. Besides that, when you’re dealing
with the IRS, there's always a third hand which can be the one that stabs you
in the back.
Again on October 9, 1998 Agnes called and said that she had not yet heard
from their legal department, but was just calling to stay in touch with me. She
ended the conversation by telling me she would call me back as soon as she
heard something.
The next call from Agnes was on November 4, 1998. Agnes asked me what, if
any, documentation I had to back up what I had told her and what records I had
from the IRS. The IRS either had destroyed my files or lost them, since she
could find no records of any type on my case in any of their files. She also
relayed that she had spoken with their legal department and that they had asked
her to get more information regarding my case before she made her final
determination. She continued by stating that she still believed that the IRS
was in error but she needed any paperwork I could send her.
| She asked me if I still had a copy of the Maumee court decision and, if I did,
would I fax her a copy and assist her in making her final determination. I told
her that I had a copy at home and that I would go home and get it and fax her a
copy, which I did. |
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November 6, 1998 Agnes called me again at work and asked me some more questions,
which I answered. She told me again that she still had not been able to locate
any of my records. I asked her if she found that a little strange--the fact
that the IRS had no records on me--yet I had all mine. I told her that the fact
that the IRS had no records on me could not be an accident. I felt that they
had destroyed them on purpose. Agnes had no reply. She just said that she would
continue to look for my records and she would get back to me.
On November 13, 1998 Agnes called me at work but I was tied up with a
customer so she left the message that she would call me again on Monday.
November 17, 1998: Agnes did not call me on Monday so I called her. She was
out of the office that day so I left a message which she did not return.
On November 18, 1998 I called Agnes and asked if she had made her
determination yet. She said that she had not because she was still unable to
locate any of my records. I asked her how, if the IRS had no records of
anything and hadn't had any for fourteen years, they could say I was guilty of
anything?
I reminded her that, as far as I was concerned, the reason their records
were missing was that they would clearly show why and how the IRS did what they
did. More important, the records would prove that the IRS was wrong and knew
they were wrong the entire time, but that didn't stop them from destroying me
financially.
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