Sportello

Chef Barbara Lynch Sued by the City for Nearly $1.7M in Unpaid Taxes | Eater Boston

"This location is listed in the city's suit as owing $124,995.21 in unpaid personal property taxes; the complaint says final notices were sent on January 11, 2024 shortly after the chef announced this restaurant (and two others) were closing, and that some taxes across the group hadn't been paid for more than a decade except for "one payment to each property in August 2021," contributing to a total claim of $1,676,708.69. The city has also asked for a temporary restraining order to prevent the funds from being left unpaid in the event of a sale. COO Lorraine Tomlinson-Hall said the group "was not aware of any taxes owed until the news was covered in the press this week," pointing out that when the liquor license for the South End property was sold the group received a "Certificate of Good Standing." She said, "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," concluding, "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 also faces a separate suit alleging withheld tips during the pandemic and has been subject to workplace-culture complaints from former employees, which she denies." - Erika Adams