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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEx 27 Second Declaration of Tamara Crisp Feb 12 2021.pdf1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 BEFORE THE HEARING EXAMINER OF THE CITY OF RENTON RE: SECOND DECLARATION OF TracFone Wireless, Inc. TAMARA CRISP IN SUPPORT OF CITY OF RENTON'S OPPOSITION Administrative Appeal TO TRACFONE'S MOTION SUMMARY JUDGMENT I, Tamara Crisp, declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of Washington that the following is true and correct: 1. I am over the age of eighteen, and I am competent to testify in court as to the matters set forth herein and make this declaration based upon my personal knowledge. 2. I have worked for Tax Recovery Services, LLC ("TRS") since 2004. At TRS, I am part owner and the company's Vice President for Administration and Technical Analysis, and I have been performing many of the more complicated audits for the company since 2012. 3. There was no need for TRS to meet with representatives of TracFone Wireless Inc. ("TracFone") or inquire about their business activities because TRS was familiar with TracFone's well- known business as a prepaid wireless provider before starting the Renton audit in June 2013. Information about TracFone is widely available in the public domain, such as TracFone's website, advertisements, and marketing materials, all of which clearly depict TracFone as offering prepaid wireless services for sale to the public. {KCO2366593.DOCX;1/07851.000003/ 1 SECOND DECLARATION OF TAMARA CRISP IN SUPPORT OF CITY OF OGDEN 01 5th Ave, WALLACE, 3500 PLLC 901 Sth ASuite 3500 RENTON'S OPPOSITION TO TRACFONE'S MOTION FOR SUMMARY Seattle, WA 98164 JUDGMENT - 1 Tel: 206-447-7000/Fax: 206-447-0215 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 4. In addition, TRS was familiar with the Washington supreme court's decision in TracFone Wireless, Inc. v. Dep't of Revenue, 170 Wn.2d 273, 278-80, 242 P.3d 810 (2010), which describes TracFone's business activities in the "facts" section and throughout the case. Based on the description of TracFone's business activities in that state supreme court decision, we understood that TracFone was providing prepaid wireless services to its end users, which enabled the end users to access the local cellular telephone network to access calls, data and text services. 5. TracFone staunchly claimed throughout the entire audit process that it was not liable for local telephone utility tax as a telephone business. Thus, TRS questioned whether it would be a productive use of time to argue with TracFone on the issue of tax liability, especially given tax liability is legal issue. 6. TRS knew that TracFone would have its legal counsel present at any in -person meeting, and TRS did not want to be disadvantaged due to not having our own legal counsel at such meeting. When finally, near the completion of the audit, TracFone offered to meet us without their lawyer, we had already become convinced that, as auditors, we would not be able to bring about any type of resolution to their legal objections. At this point, the tax schedules were becoming ready, and we very much wanted them to instead focus on reviewing them for accuracy and approach, and urged them to do just that, knowing that they would need to take their legal positioning up with the City's legal department or representatives. 7. In summary, because TracFone held firm in its position against imposition of local telephone utility tax despite our attempts to address their concerns in written form, TRS decided against such meeting and instead focused on the revenue data that was needed to complete the audit. We anticipated that if, after completion of the audit, the contested issues could not be resolved by discussion between the City of Renton and TracFone representatives, then the issue regarding tax liability would be the subject of a future legal proceeding, as it is now. {KCO2366593.DOCX;1/07851.000003/ } SECOND DECLARATION OF TAMARA CRISP IN SUPPORT OF CITY OF OGDEN MUth Ave,WALLACE, 3500 PLLC 901 Sth AvSuite 3500 RENTON'S OPPOSITION TO TRACFONE'S MOTION FOR SUMMARY Seattle, WA 98164 JUDGMENT-2 Tel: 206-447-7000/Fax: 206-447-0215 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 SIGNED this 12th day of February, 2021 at Spanaway, Washington. By Is/Tamara Cn Tamara Crisp {KCO2366593.DOCX;1/07851.000003/ } SECOND DECLARATION OF TAMARA CRISP IN SUPPORT OF CITY OF RENTON'S OPPOSITION TO TRACFONE'S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT-3 OGDEN MURPHY WALLACE, PLLC 901 5th Ave, Suite 3500 Seattle, WA 98164 Tel: 206-447-7000/Fax: 206-447-0215 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I, Kenya Owens, an employee of Ogden Murphy Wallace, PLLC, certify that on the date below, I filed and served the Declaration of Tamara Crisp in support of City of Renton's Opposition to TracFone's Motion for Summary Judgment via email on the following parties: TracFone Wireless, Inc. Scott Edwards Lane Powell, PC 1420 5th Avenue, Suite 4200 Seattle, WA 98101 Edwards S kLaneP owell. com Grant S. Degginger Lane Powell, PC 1420 5th Avenue, Suite 4200 Seattle, WA 98101 Deggineg rG a,LanePowell.com I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of Washington that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed at Seattle, Washington this 12th day of February, 2021. Is/Kenya Owens Kenya Owens Legal Assistant {KCO2366593.DOCX;1/07851.000003/ } SECOND DECLARATION OF TAMARA CRISP IN SUPPORT OF CITY OF RENTON'S OPPOSITION TO TRACFONE'S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT-4 OGDEN MURPHY WALLACE, PLLC 901 5th Ave, Suite 3500 Seattle, WA 98164 Tel: 206-447-7000/Fax: 206-447-0215