[READ IT: Temporary restraining order]
The charges were filed against O'Connor & Associates. The Texas AG's office alleges the firm filed tax protests without taxpayers' consent, failed to appear at clients' tax protest hearings and submitted fraudulently notarized documents, among other legal violations.
"The defendant is charged with failing to appear at tax protest hearings or otherwise take action for its customers," said Attorney General Greg Abbott. "But the defendant is also charged with falsely representing thousands of taxpayers who never actually consented to its representation. Put simply, O'Connor & Associates took action it was never authorized to take, but failed to do the work it was actually hired to perform."
According to attorney general's investigators, multiple taxpayers complained that O'Connor & Associates filed protests on their behalf even after the taxpayers specifically declined to hire the firm. In cases where the unauthorized protest involved taxpayers who received refunds, the defendant sent invoices and filed lawsuits against taxpayers who refused to pay for O'Connor's services, despite the fact those services were unwanted and unauthorized.
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