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Why is MSB Contacting Me about Texas Franchise Taxes? Municipal Services Bureau (“MSB”) is contacting you regarding franchise taxes because the Comptroller of Public Accounts believes a corporation, limited liability company, or other filing entity that you operate is delinquent in the payment of its franchise taxes. This belief could be due to an actual franchise tax delinquency by your business or it could simply be a failure to complete a “No Tax Due” or other tax fili

Debt collectors call you at your home because they either bought your debt or were assigned a right to collect it. The collector now wants you to pay it. They want it paid as soon as possible and they want it paid in full. Many debt collectors are paid based on a contingency fee – that is, they receive a percentage of the amount they recover. Despite the fact that they bought your debt for pennies on the dollar (or, often times, tenths of a penny), the fact is the debt may still exist. Deb

YOU HAVE BEEN SUED That’s what the notice says. The credit card that was charged off months ago, or even years ago, has been purchased by a debt collector. They have now filed suit on the account. You recall receiving a notice in the mail threatening this lawsuit, but since you had no ability to pay the balance, you ignored it.  In these difficult times, it is an all-too-common story.  Many people ignore the demand letters that precede these lawsuits as idle threats. But what do you do onc

Legal issues these days are not an “if,” they are a “when.”  The legal system touches every one of our lives at some point – it could be through a divorce, a bankruptcy, a death in the family, a lawsuit, or simply wanting to start up a corporation or LLC.  When these legal issues arise, many Texans are forced to resort to non-attorney online form vendors because they cannot afford to pay an attorney for his or her services.   Some people even choose to get their leg

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has begun terminating Hussein Ali “Mike” Yassine’s liquor licenses.  As of January 8, 2013, the TABC has issued orders cancelling the alcoholic beverage permits belonging to Acoustic Cafe, LLC d/b/a Spill and 907, LLC d/b/a Fuel. Links to the orders may be found below. Board Order – 607, LLC DBA Fuel Board Order – Acoustic Cafe, LLC dba Spill  

Hussein Ali “Mike” Yassine’s former clubs’ alcoholic beverage permits are one step closer to being cancelled as of yesterday.  On January 8, 2013, Admin. Law Judge William Newchurch filed his recommendation regarding Yassine’s exceptions to Newchurch’s Proposal for Decision, which was issued on 12.20.2012 (available HERE).  In his exceptions, Yassine’s attorney argued that (i) Yassine did not have a bad reputation for being a law-abiding citizen, (ii) th

Rep. Joe Farias (D-118) has proposed a modification to the Texas Government Code involving the definition of an “economically disadvantaged person.” This definition relates to the owners of businesses that qualify as historically underutilized businesses for purposes of state contracting.  HB 184 expands  the definition of an economically disadvantaged person to include “veterans as defined by 38 U.S.C. Section 101(2) who have a service-connected disability as defined in by 38

A new bill filed in the Texas legislature proposes the creation of Texas’s 11th law school.  Rep. Eddie Lucio III (D-38) has filed HB 67, which proposes the creation of the Rio Grande Valley School of Law.  The bill authorizes the University of Texas to create a new law school in either Cameron County, part of which Lucio represents, or Hidalgo County.  HB 67 requires a feasibility commission with regards to the accreditation of the new law school, but makes no mention of any study regardi

On November 11, 2012, Rep. James White filed a H.B. 93, which proposes changing the Government Code’s definition of what constitutes a “Historically Underutilized Business” (“HUB”) in Texas.  H.B. 93 proposes that the definition of what constitutes a HUB in Texas be modified to include, as an alternative to the existing definitions which center around economically disadvantaged persons, “…entit[ies] with one or more places of business each located in the

12.20.2012 (1PM) – Administrative Law Judge William G. Newchurch recommended that the liquor permits held by the business entities previously operated by Hussein A. “Mike” Yassine be cancelled today.  The decision arose from a motion for summary disposition filed by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. The Proposal for Decision is available in .pdf by clicking HERE or may be found at the SOAH website, available HERE. Search for Cause No: 458-13-0903 using “guest login