Unpaid Taxes and the Responsible Blogger

Having worked with distressed real estate for the last umpteen years, I thought something looked a little strange in this Strib article about Kim Bartmann's (owner of Bryant-Lake Bowl, Barbette and Red Stag Supperclub) unpaid taxes.  I sent the link to a tax lawyer who's also a real estate investor and he had this to say:

Interesting story in that the Feds cannot "seize" the home of a taxpayer for unpaid tax debts unless the home is not homestead property; the Feds then foreclose the lien in state court, and the owner does not redeem from the sale. The Feds would take subject to senior mortgages, etc. The Star Tribune has no idea what they are talking about.

I suppose one could just go down to the Court and examine the complaint filed to confirm the information (presumably done by the Strib reporter), but even then it's pretty difficult to decipher exactly what's going on when you're dealing with tax codes and property foreclosure, especially when it's being done by the government. 

A person's home being seized isn't a topic to be reported on without professional advisement, even if that person is an important local figure.  Chefs and restauranteurs are the tipsters' favorite new topic; a little gloomy press starts the rumor mill cranking and, pretty soon, like a game of telephone, I'll start getting emails asking if Barbette is closing.  I'll venture to say that, in a time when preserving our precious local dining scene is critical, it's best to keep the slow news day material to cheerier stories.

Agree, disagree?  Even if a story like this is 100% factual, is it really news?  Moreover, shouldn't we be focusing intently on the positive right now?

Comments

[StPaulite]

AMEN (and thank you!)!!!

[kotzbue]

The Strib isn't really known for responsible reporting. And, if Barbette closed, it wouldn't be a big deal. I've found it to be completely over-hyped. The food is average to below average and way overpriced. The wine can be good, but stingy pours for a $7+ glass.

[Alexis]

I dunno about that; I tend to think that the Strib is the source of reporting for most Minnesotans, implying certainly a minimum amount of accuracy. It just seems that there was a significant amount of detail not reported here, instead it was tidied up inaccurately for brevity's sake. (See also: what I believe is the original story in SW Journal.) But again, my opinion is that it shouldn't have been a story at all. (And Barbette is packed with lake neighbors every night of the week who might disagree, and anyplace you can get a croque madame until 12:30am is alright in my book. I just wish the olives didn't come out so damn hot all the time. I'm chewing on bread for 10 minutes before I can dive into them.)

Anyway, maybe it's because I'm more involved in the industry now than ever, but I've recently made a personal policy to not get caught up in all the "FIRST!" crap that consumes a lot of bloggers these days, particularly those who write about restaurants, especially when it comes to items like closings (or people's tax dilemmas).

I'm more than happy to write about new experiences -- and by all means everyone, keep the tips and press releases coming -- but I'll be over here devoting my time to growing and strengthening our outstanding local dining scene, not axing away at it.

[mindtron]

assuming the information is factual, then it is hard to see how this isn't news.

a local restaraunteur with multiple establishments in tax trouble is the type of story they should be reporting. perhaps more indepth than the level they did, but this is the point of having local reporting.

We don't need national level reporting from our local papers, because the newswires can provide that at a much more affordable cost, but local news both positive and negative are important to report on.

now whether you need to include the negative is completely a personal decision and should be based on your personal goals for this forum.

[Tamara]

Wait, so now we're chipping away at local news, as well as local dining?! Sheesh!

And P.S. Barbette's happy hour is AWESOME. A $7 glass of wine is a good deal, kotzbue, if you know about the wine you're drinking, and the food (while it can be inconsistent) is good and cheap.

[kim]

FYI the $4 happy hour wine (not $7!) isn't going anywhere. In fact its probably going organic next. On the subject of my sudden celebrity status via owing money to the IRS, no details to follow. Thanks to all of you out there who support local businesses that buy local product, including but not limited to BLB, Barbette, and the Red Stag.

[makes sense]

I agree with Mindtron: if the owner of three local businesses is in such bad tax trouble that her own home is in jeopardy then yes, that's news. I can't believe you're even questioning the Strib and the SwJ for reporting it as such. If the article isn't factual then I'd expect Ms. Bartmann, who is obviously monitoring the coverage, to say as much.

[Jade]

I love Barbette and BLB - tell me another place in the Twin Cities that offer the type of ambiance that those places do. I was just at Barbette at 9pm on a Wednesday and the place was almost full, so hopefully it's not going anywhere.

To me it's not news unless one of the places is closing.

[Christian]

Excellent follow-up on that article, Alexis. I wonder who the STrib journalist consulted for their information? Wish it were unreasonable to assume they hadn't talked to anyone.

[Alexis]

Oh geez, now I'm part of the problem. No, Barbette isn't going anywhere! The defunct businesses cited in the articles would have nothing to do with current restaurant operations.

[Anonymous Retribution Fearer]

Ah, this must explain why Kim never tips her bartenders and wait-staff when she dines in her own restaurants! She's saving it to defer the cost of their income tax. Cheers to brilliant business acumen and keeping staff in their place.

[bearswife]

As a former employee, who was unable to collect unemployment insurance because KB didn't pay her income taxes, I can state that this IS news. It should have been news years ago, along with many other shady business practices she engaged in...