Lived outside the city of Nashville and had a PO Box in Nashville, so all my sales automatically should have found their way into the taxation of the city of Nashville even though my business was out side the city.
Tax man called me up at 6:30 in the morning stating that I owed about $40 and that if I didn't pay he was going to take my car and put a lien on my house. Well, the tax collector didn't know that I had run a collection agency in a previous life and was familar with the laws governing collecting bills. One can't call that early in the morning, so I asked him about the rules. He played dumb. I then asked him to follow-up on the rules and then call me back about the bill.
You think I ever heard back from the tax man???? Not a snowball's chance in @#&&.
Follow GSA guys lead and put them to task, if and only if you know you are right.
As they say two can pay the game!
Shame on the Dothan tax collectors and even more shameful for the collectors in Southern Ala that don;t have a show anymore.
I've been waiting for a couple of years for a coin show to come back to my area. I am very dissappointed by how this was handled, and somehow this needs to resolved. I really worry that if it is resolved to the favor of the coin dealers they've been so burned by some of our city officals, I doubt even an apolgy will bring them back.
This really sucks rocks!!
PS
I'm going to email a couple of city officals, and see if there was a way for the show organizer to have covered the licensing requirements. We'll see what kind of answers I get.
Wow, unbelievable, reading these threads conjurs up the image of Strother Martin in the famous scene with Paul Newman where he says "What we got here, Boy, is a failure to communicate" in a extremly heavy southern drawl, wish I could think of the name of that movie. any how someone aught to explain that this is 2004 and not 1954 to the City Council, and that a Customer Friendly Attitude is what brings back return Customers, Venders, and so forth, One question about Dothan, is where was this coin event held, was it at a hotel or do they have a convintion center or fairgrounds that holds other events, because the behavior they showed would definitley effect all out of town commerce, oh well bad raps live longer than good ones.
Promote The Hobby and Make it a Positive Experience for all, Remember That this Hobby Can Be Fun & Profitable & Profit is Always FUN
It was held at the Houston County Farm Center. Dothan has several nice venues for something of this Nature. This is the only event that has ever caused this much trouble that I know of. We have a large model train convention each year in Sept. that to my knowledge has never had a problem. Of couse we have a different group of people organizing that event every year. Perhaps they know the best way of dealing with the licensing requirements involved in such an event.
<< <i>Wow, unbelievable, reading these threads conjurs up the image of Strother Martin in the famous scene with Paul Newman where he says "What we got here, Boy, is a failure to communicate" in a extremly heavy southern drawl, wish I could think of the name of that movie. >>
<< <i>Wow, unbelievable, reading these threads conjurs up the image of Strother Martin in the famous scene with Paul Newman where he says "What we got here, Boy, is a failure to communicate" in a extremly heavy southern drawl, wish I could think of the name of that movie. >>
These transient vendor licenses sound like they were thought up during Reconstruction to use against Carpetbaggers. Seems like they need to get rid it if they don't want to stifle their revenue stream
So, if I read this editorial correctly, they seem to think it is all fine and dandy to continue the fleecing, just as long as everyone knows about it before they come into town to setup a table. Well, that is some fine Southern hospitality. I wish I lived in Alabama just so I could not go to this coin show.
While we're on subject of coin shows, how about a big "thanks" to Ed K. for organizing the great Baltimore shows.
I worked for a software comapny. I (the tech guy) was partnered with a sales guy. The sales guy (Jim) arranged a "tour" of the southeast USA to visit current & prospective accounts. Jim liked to fly everywhere - even distances of 100 miles or less. I liked to drive everywhere. His plan had us flying from Denver to Memphis. Then Memphis to Pensacola. Then Pensacola to Orlando. Then Orlando to Miami. I said: "The heck with that. That plan has disaster written all over it. No flexibility at all. You can fly everywhere. I'll fly to Memphis and get a car. I'll drive to each place and meet you there. Then I'll fly back from Miami at the end." He hated that idea but I stood firm. So it was agreed.
It didn't take long for things to go awry on our trip. We flew to Mempis, got in my rented car and drove to Oak Ridge for our first appointment. After that meeting Jim was supposed to fly from Memphis to Pensacola. We called the airport and found out that his flight was cancelled. Jim hated driving. Ha Ha ! He had to ride with me to Pensacola.
But on the way down a hurricane was brewing in the gulf. As we drove the rain got heavier and heavier. We had to stop for the night in Dothan. We awoke to reports stating that a category 4 hurricane was coming on shore in the Florida panhandle. So much for our Pensacola visit. Another sales guy with us wanted to go anyway - just to see the hurricane. I reminded him that it's not the wind that is the main danger - it's the water. And our hotel reservations were right on the ocean front in Ft Walton Beach. The hurricane came on shore at that exact point. I'm sure the hotel was inundated with seawater.
So we had to wait it out in the hotel in Dothan Alabama. The hotel filled up with refugees from Florida. It poured rain outside for three days straight. Nowhere to go and nothing to do for three days. Our only "entertainment" was the escalating domestic dispute in the room next to me. Finally the police were summoned and hauled the male half of the couple off to jail (he probably didn't pay his taxes !).
The sky finally cleared and we couldn't get to Orlando fast enough.
Wonder why Dog97 hasn't responded to this thread? I believe he lives in Alabama-hope he didn't get put in the Dog pound in Dothan------------------BigE
The following are excerpts from two editorials that "Theop" posted from the Dothan Eagle:
“A letter of apology and explanation should also be sent to each vendor explaining that licenses are a requirement, of course. But the letter should also include an outline of changes in procedures prompted by the incident, new guidelines that would make our city more vendor-friendly, along with an official invitation to return and a voucher for a business license without charge.”
And,
“The fees were legitimate. However, only eight of the 45 coin dealers slated to set up their wares at the show paid the fee. The remainder left, refusing to pay the unexpected charges.”
Personally, if it were me that they treated so UNcivilly, if I were to receive one of those "Vouchers" I would wipe my ass with it and send it right back to the mayor of Dothan, Nuff Said.
On first reading, didn't realize the 2nd tax was $100 per day! This link comes from one of the nicest dealers you will ever meet, Ken is always a treat to meet at a show, and really an ambassador for the hobby. A good friend sold him a few collector coins a several months back, and Ken sent him a check for a bit more when the coins sold for more than anticipated. Here is his report:
Yeah, these laws probably date from the carpetbagger era and no doubt were continued through the Jim Crow era for the same purpose. The local businesses always hated itinerant competitors who could charge lower rates, not having to have brick-and-mortar overhead (or, in the old days, hotel rooms when they could sleep in the countryside for free). Since local businesses and chambers of commerce tend to be major funding sources for political candidates, it's not hard to get these anti-competitive laws passed. They don't help the hotels and motels, but these then have a vested interest in getting their money upfront and with no whisper about these tax matters which don't relate to them.
To jhar : since this goes back to 1970/1971 you may or may not be familiar with a coin shop in Daleville . i was stationed at ft rucker in those years , and there was a coin shop in the metropolis of Daleville . i think the owners name was Herb . it's been years , but i remember flying out of dothan on southern airways . Anyway , situations such as this happen here in new england also . some years back the springfield mass tax office came into a sports card/collectibles show and also demanded payments .
reminds me of a show that I bought a table for in NY city....paid several hundred dollars...was not coins but rather magicians convention....I run side business mfg tokens for magicians...its a labor of love....not a money maker...most magicians appreciate getting the token made at my cost...anyway booked table months in advance....about 1 month before show...get call....need to pay another $$$$ round for tickets to magic shows....I go what are you talking about....they say have to go to shows and pay for tickets...I say thanks but no thanks....refund my table fees...and so the promoter lost a very good vendor that would have made a lot of people happy....
Nickel, I have heard of that coin dealer, although I don't believe he is still in business. One of my co-workers has a complete Franklin set, and he bought the majority of the coins from this particular dealer during the 70's.
The city of Dothan did a royal screw-up, no doubt there.
But please don't judge all of us here in Alabama for the stupidity of a city government that's tucked away in a corner of the state. It it wasn't for the fact that you have to pass through Dothan to get to the Florida Pan-handle beaches, it wouldn't even be on the map.
Everyone should know that there is a terrific annual coin show in Bessemer, AL some time in June I believe. For those of you who don't know, Bessemer is a suburb of Birmingham, AL. I think the show has about 100 - 150 tables.
<< <i>On first reading, didn't realize the 2nd tax was $100 per day! >>
$100 a day! It's pretty obvious that the Dothan, Alabama doesn't want any trade shows in their "fair city." Funny I never knew heard of this place before. Since they don't want trade shows, perhaps the town is independently wealthy.
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
<< <i>Yeah, these laws probably date from the carpetbagger era
Actually before that era. And it sure wasn't a Southern thing at that. I believe 600,000 Americans were killed so Washington DC could retain power and impose taxes.
There's not much difference now between the North and the South in that regard at this point.
<< <i>The city of Dothan did a royal screw-up, no doubt there.
But please don't judge all of us here in Alabama for the stupidity of a city government that's tucked away in a corner of the state. It it wasn't for the fact that you have to pass through Dothan to get to the Florida Pan-handle beaches, it wouldn't even be on the map.
Everyone should know that there is a terrific annual coin show in Bessemer, AL some time in June I believe. For those of you who don't know, Bessemer is a suburb of Birmingham, AL. I think the show has about 100 - 150 tables. >>
Don't worry.. most of us have enough common sense to realize you Alabama folk aren't all like those morons running the show in Dothan. I'm sure each and every state has it's own share of municipalities where idiots have pulled similar stunts. Obviously the local government in Bessemer "gets it," at least when it comes to coin shows.
I emailed the Dealer who put up the website. He told me that the $100 fee was a per event fee. It seems that the person from the City tried to collect that $100 on a per day basis, but was later informed that it was a per event fee.
This should have been covered under some type of event License that the show promoter would buy ahead of time. I don't believe that the dealers should each have to pay for individual licenses to operate in Dothan, for just 3 days. At least not at $100 a pop!
I am trying to determine if Dothan has such an Event License that would have covered the dealers attending the show. If not I would like to try to find out if we in here Dothan could set something like that up. We must have some kind of requirement along those lines because the dealer's web site mentioned that an event license was purchased on Friday by the show promoter. This incident will not only affect future coin shows, but any other kind of "show" in which dealers come to sell wares for just couple of days then go home.
It seems this story has caught the eye of Coin World. Just got off the phone with them after recieving an email about it. Gave the reporter the name of my local dealer who was at the show, so he can get his opinion. This is getting really interesting now!!
You might get dealers back for another show only if the city of Dothan waived the fees for those that attended this year ... and all fees, taxes and everything else is covered by the registration fee.
Do you think that they ( city and county administration) will understand that if they lower the cost of doing business in Dothan that the cities' revenues would likely be larger?
<< <i>Do you think that they ( city and county administration) will understand that if they lower the cost of doing business in Dothan that the cities' revenues would likely be larger? >>
Glassman I hope something like that happens. The bad press will cost the city more than they would have collected in license fees.
Man that's really a bummer! Alabama aint all bad though. My club puts on a very cool & sucessful show every year. Both my club and my home city have plenty of $$ and you won't have to worry about anybody shaking you down. We get our city & county revenue from real estate, beach front property & construction, which is booming, not to mention 8% sales tax of of our WallMarts $90 million or so annual gross. LOL. Everybody's cool here in L. A. that's Lower Alabama, home of the South Baldwin Numismatic Society and we have our show in the Civic Center in Foley and hell we even feed our guest dealers for free. You dealers & collectors come on over to where the real people are. We have a kickass show that covers west Flordia, south Alabama & east Mississippi bout a week after FUN.
Change that we can believe in is that change which is 90% silver.
Comments
Nashville Tenn 1990
Lived outside the city of Nashville and had a PO Box in Nashville, so all my sales automatically should have found their way into the taxation of the city of Nashville even though my business was out side the city.
Tax man called me up at 6:30 in the morning stating that I owed about $40 and that if I didn't pay he was going to take my car and put a lien on my house. Well, the tax collector didn't know that I had run a collection agency in a previous life and was familar with the laws governing collecting bills. One can't call that early in the morning, so I asked him about the rules. He played dumb. I then asked him to follow-up on the rules and then call me back about the bill.
You think I ever heard back from the tax man???? Not a snowball's chance in @#&&.
Follow GSA guys lead and put them to task, if and only if you know you are right.
As they say two can pay the game!
Shame on the Dothan tax collectors and even more shameful for the collectors in Southern Ala that don;t have a show anymore.
Ike Specialist
Finest Toned Ike I've Ever Seen, been looking since 1986
This really sucks rocks!!
PS
I'm going to email a couple of city officals, and see if there was a way for the show organizer to have covered the licensing requirements. We'll see what kind of answers I get.
<< <i>Wow, unbelievable, reading these threads conjurs up the image of Strother Martin in the famous scene with Paul Newman where he says "What we got here, Boy, is a failure to communicate" in a extremly heavy southern drawl, wish I could think of the name of that movie. >>
"Cool Hand Luke"
<< <i>
<< <i>Wow, unbelievable, reading these threads conjurs up the image of Strother Martin in the famous scene with Paul Newman where he says "What we got here, Boy, is a failure to communicate" in a extremly heavy southern drawl, wish I could think of the name of that movie. >>
"Cool Hand Luke" >>
Still shakin it boss!
TP
Coin's for sale/trade.
Tom Pilitowski
US Rare Coin Investments
800-624-1870
My quarters:
Silver
Clad
Statehood
While we're on subject of coin shows, how about a big "thanks" to Ed K. for organizing the great Baltimore shows.
I worked for a software comapny. I (the tech guy) was partnered with a sales guy. The sales guy (Jim) arranged a "tour" of the southeast USA to visit current & prospective accounts. Jim liked to fly everywhere - even distances of 100 miles or less. I liked to drive everywhere. His plan had us flying from Denver to Memphis. Then Memphis to Pensacola. Then Pensacola to Orlando. Then Orlando to Miami. I said: "The heck with that. That plan has disaster written all over it. No flexibility at all. You can fly everywhere. I'll fly to Memphis and get a car. I'll drive to each place and meet you there. Then I'll fly back from Miami at the end." He hated that idea but I stood firm. So it was agreed.
It didn't take long for things to go awry on our trip. We flew to Mempis, got in my rented car and drove to Oak Ridge for our first appointment. After that meeting Jim was supposed to fly from Memphis to Pensacola. We called the airport and found out that his flight was cancelled. Jim hated driving. Ha Ha ! He had to ride with me to Pensacola.
But on the way down a hurricane was brewing in the gulf. As we drove the rain got heavier and heavier. We had to stop for the night in Dothan. We awoke to reports stating that a category 4 hurricane was coming on shore in the Florida panhandle. So much for our Pensacola visit. Another sales guy with us wanted to go anyway - just to see the hurricane. I reminded him that it's not the wind that is the main danger - it's the water. And our hotel reservations were right on the ocean front in Ft Walton Beach. The hurricane came on shore at that exact point. I'm sure the hotel was inundated with seawater.
So we had to wait it out in the hotel in Dothan Alabama. The hotel filled up with refugees from Florida. It poured rain outside for three days straight. Nowhere to go and nothing to do for three days. Our only "entertainment" was the escalating domestic dispute in the room next to me. Finally the police were summoned and hauled the male half of the couple off to jail (he probably didn't pay his taxes !).
The sky finally cleared and we couldn't get to Orlando fast enough.
www.taxmemore.us
“A letter of apology and explanation should also be sent to each vendor explaining that licenses are a requirement, of course. But the letter should also include an outline of changes in procedures prompted by the incident, new guidelines that would make our city more vendor-friendly, along with an official invitation to return and a voucher for a business license without charge.”
And,
“The fees were legitimate. However, only eight of the 45 coin dealers slated to set up their wares at the show paid the fee. The remainder left, refusing to pay the unexpected charges.”
Personally, if it were me that they treated so UNcivilly, if I were to receive one of those "Vouchers" I would wipe my ass with it and send it right back to the mayor of Dothan, Nuff Said.
Jim
Dothan Show Report
Come on over ... to The Dark Side!
Anyway , situations such as this happen here in new england also . some years back the springfield mass tax office came into a sports card/collectibles show and also demanded payments .
President, Racine Numismatic Society 2013-2014; Variety Resource Dimes; See 6/8/12 CDN for my article on Winged Liberty Dimes; Ebay
But please don't judge all of us here in Alabama for the stupidity of a city government that's tucked away in a corner of the state. It it wasn't for the fact that you have to pass through Dothan to get to the Florida Pan-handle beaches, it wouldn't even be on the map.
Everyone should know that there is a terrific annual coin show in Bessemer, AL some time in June I believe. For those of you who don't know, Bessemer is a suburb of Birmingham, AL. I think the show has about 100 - 150 tables.
<< <i>On first reading, didn't realize the 2nd tax was $100 per day! >>
$100 a day! It's pretty obvious that the Dothan, Alabama doesn't want any trade shows in their "fair city." Funny I never knew heard of this place before. Since they don't want trade shows, perhaps the town is independently wealthy.
<< <i>Yeah, these laws probably date from the carpetbagger era
Actually before that era. And it sure wasn't a Southern thing at that. I believe 600,000 Americans were killed so Washington DC could retain power and impose taxes.
There's not much difference now between the North and the South in that regard at this point.
TP
Coin's for sale/trade.
Tom Pilitowski
US Rare Coin Investments
800-624-1870
<< <i>The city of Dothan did a royal screw-up, no doubt there.
But please don't judge all of us here in Alabama for the stupidity of a city government that's tucked away in a corner of the state. It it wasn't for the fact that you have to pass through Dothan to get to the Florida Pan-handle beaches, it wouldn't even be on the map.
Everyone should know that there is a terrific annual coin show in Bessemer, AL some time in June I believe. For those of you who don't know, Bessemer is a suburb of Birmingham, AL. I think the show has about 100 - 150 tables. >>
Don't worry.. most of us have enough common sense to realize you Alabama folk aren't all like those morons running the show in Dothan. I'm sure each and every state has it's own share of municipalities where idiots have pulled similar stunts. Obviously the local government in Bessemer "gets it," at least when it comes to coin shows.
This should have been covered under some type of event License that the show promoter would buy ahead of time. I don't believe that the dealers should each have to pay for individual licenses to operate in Dothan, for just 3 days. At least not at $100 a pop!
I am trying to determine if Dothan has such an Event License that would have covered the dealers attending the show. If not I would like to try to find out if we in here Dothan could set something like that up. We must have some kind of requirement along those lines because the dealer's web site mentioned that an event license was purchased on Friday by the show promoter. This incident will not only affect future coin shows, but any other kind of "show" in which dealers come to sell wares for just couple of days then go home.
Do you think that they ( city and county administration) will understand that if they lower the cost of doing business in Dothan that the cities' revenues would likely be larger?
ps: I pay taxes in Alabummer
<< <i>bar tabs, strip club donations >>
Do they have strip clubs in Dothan?
Russ, NCNE
<< <i>Do they have strip clubs in Dothan? >>
No, you have to go to Ozark, AL for That!!
<< <i>Do you think that they ( city and county administration) will understand that if they lower the cost of doing business in Dothan that the cities' revenues would likely be larger? >>
Glassman I hope something like that happens. The bad press will cost the city more than they would have collected in license fees.
Go BIG or GO HOME. ©Bill
Alabama aint all bad though. My club puts on a very cool & sucessful show every year. Both my club and my home city have plenty of $$ and you won't have to worry about anybody shaking you down. We get our city & county revenue from real estate, beach front property & construction, which is booming, not to mention 8% sales tax of of our WallMarts $90 million or so annual gross. LOL.
Everybody's cool here in L. A. that's Lower Alabama, home of the South Baldwin Numismatic Society and we have our show in the Civic Center in Foley and hell we even feed our guest dealers for free. You dealers & collectors come on over to where the real people are. We have a kickass show that covers west Flordia, south Alabama & east Mississippi bout a week after FUN.