Chef Barbara Lynch Sued by the City for Nearly $1.7M in Unpaid Taxes | Eater Boston
"The city's complaint lists this location as owing $134,714.57 in unpaid personal property taxes, alleges final notice letters were sent on January 11, 2024 after the chef announced this restaurant (and two others) were shutting down, and states that some taxes across the group were unpaid for more than a decade except for "one payment to each property in August 2021," forming part of a total $1,676,708.69 claim. The city also requested a temporary restraining order to prevent amounts from being left unpaid if any property is sold. COO Lorraine Tomlinson-Hall responded that the group "was not aware of any taxes owed until the news was covered in the press this week," noting the group's receipt of a "Certificate of Good Standing" when a South End liquor license was sold. She commented, "This obviously could not have happened if taxes were owed," and added, "None of the distinct LLCs have ever owned the properties in which the restaurants have operated from, so this cannot be a real estate tax," finishing, "This leads us to believe this is an error and we are greatly disappointed that we were not contacted directly or via the company CPA or legal counsel. This has caused unnecessary embarrassment to Barbara Lynch and her family but we look forward to reconciling this matter with the City." The chef is simultaneously contending with an earlier lawsuit alleging withheld tips during the pandemic and with employee allegations about workplace culture, which she disputes." - Erika Adams
