Maestri Drops Lawsuit Against State Agency, Owes Sales Taxes
Mary Maestri’s remains closed after 87 years in business
Posted: May 14, 2010 at 4:37 a.m.
Mary Maestri’s likely is permanently closed after owner Daniel Maestri on Thursday dropped his lawsuit against a state agency pursuing back sales taxes.
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Comments
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The tourism industry is one of the
most important industries in Arkansas!
Mary Maestri's Restaurant has brought tourist to Northwest Arkansas for almost a century. Why would the State of Arkansas not be willing to help out a
business in hard economic times that has
contributed to this important industry!
Who is next?
Posted by: margitucker
May 14, 2010 at 9:14 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Its not like they are behind 10 years on taxes, and they close the one thing that supports them from paying back the owed taxes...most people that owe taxes have their paycheck garnished...why not do the same? How is the state going to get the money now? It doesn't make any sense whatsoever
Posted by: braves19
May 14, 2010 at 10:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Mary Maestri's is a great place to dine. Shame on the State of Arkansas for not working this out with payments, etc. The economy is down, hello?
Posted by: Farm123
May 14, 2010 at 10:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
They are getting just what they deserve. They deserve no special treatment and the state has been more than tolerable.
How anyone would feel sorry for someone that collected taxes and then didn't turn them into the state is beyond me.
Posted by: Wildturkey
May 14, 2010 at 11:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SHAME ON DANNY MAESTRI!!!
Danny has run the family business into the ground!
Not only did he NOT pay Arkansas the Sales Taxes he collected, he often paid his employees with checks that his bank would not honor because of lack of funds.
Hopefully the "former" employees can find GOOD jobs in this terrible economic climate!
Posted by: QuestionAuthority
May 14, 2010 at 1:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
very, very sad - poor and incompetnt. management has driven a once popular and thriving bisness to the ground.
Posted by: maxxey
May 14, 2010 at 9:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Are you kidding me Wildturkey? This place has been open for 87 years and are going thru a couple of years of bad luck b/c of poor management...and they get with they deserve? thats absolutely ridiculous...Rich people can have people that make poor mismanagement decisions for them (where they don't pay in millions of dollars in taxes) and we give them a break? But a hometown restaurant that has been open for 87 years gets what they deserve? Why not see if another family member can turn it around?
Posted by: braves19
May 15, 2010 at 1:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
He collected taxes from his customers. He pocketed it instead of turning it in to the state. He's been behind for several years and has been given multiple chances.
All the state wants is the sales tax money that belongs to them that he collected from the customers.
In essence, it's theft! If you allow a business to not turn in their tax collections without penalty, then you have to do it for all of them.
It's poor business management and illegal. They gave him a ton of chances over several time frames.
Maestri's is responsible for their own debt and taxpayer money they collected(and kept) shouldn't help through it.
How about I just walked in there and ate and walked out without paying? It's practically the same thing.
Posted by: Wildturkey
May 15, 2010 at 5:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
The restaurant can be opened again, hopefully under competent management.
.
It's not the end of anything except Danny's escapade's on the taxpayer's money.
.
The larger issue is that they were out of date and have been replaced by a changing economy and changing customer tastes.
.
Posted by: cdawg
May 16, 2010 at 4:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
It's not that difficult as a business owner to put the sales tax in it's own account and pay it once a quarter. It should never even be considered in your bottom line. It's simply not your money.
Posted by: suek
May 17, 2010 at 8:43 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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