Thursday, January 11, 2007

California Corporate Compliance Annual Minutes

READ THIS FIRST AND BEFORE TELEPHONING OR EMAILING: Neither this blog, nor its sponsor law office or attorney is connected in any way with the companies and services discussed below. Please take the time to carefully read the ENTIRE blog post and comments before telephoning the law office. This warning is being posted because numerous people have searched for a corporate minutes company's name or address, landed on this web page, and wrongly assumed that they have found the web site of that company. Thank you, and apologies for the ugly but effective red letters.

Note that this blog post, and many of my other blog posts are updated with new information on an ongoing basis; scroll to the bottom of this post for the most recent additions.

Some of my business incorporation and LLC formation clients report recently having received in the mail official-looking documents regarding their corporations from organizations such as Corporate Compliance Recorder, California Corporate Compliance Business Division, Minutes and Compliance Affairs, Compliance Annual Minutes Board, Corporate Headquarters, and the like.  These notices at first glance appear to require the filing of annual minutes or a shareholders and directors report with a government agency, along with the annual filing fee of $125-$150; a filing deadline is usually also listed.  These letters are by no means new, or limited to California, but appear to be ubiquitous at the present time for California corporations.

California Corporations Code sections 600, 1500, and 9510(a) are also sometimes cited:
Section 600 provides in pertinent part, "An annual meeting of shareholders shall be held for the election of directors on a date and at a time stated in or fixed in accordance with the bylaws."

Section 1500:  "Each corporation shall keep adequate and correct books and records of account and shall keep minutes of the proceedings of its shareholders, board and committees of the board and shall keep at its principal executive office, or at the office of its transfer agent or registrar, a record of its shareholders, giving the names and addresses of all shareholders and the number and class of shares held by each. Those minutes and other books and records shall be kept either in written form or in another form capable of being converted into clearly legible tangible form or in any combination of the foregoing. When minutes and other books and records are kept in a form capable of being converted into clearly legible paper form, the clearly legible paper form into which those minutes and other books and records are converted shall be admissible in evidence, and accepted for all other purposes, to the same extent as an original paper record of the same information would have been, provided that the paper form accurately portrays the record."

Section 9510(a) relates to record-keeping requirements for non-profit corporations.
What these services are offering is the preparation of corporate minutes.  Annual meeting minutes for California corporations should indeed be prepared, as the mailings suggest, but neither you nor these companies file such minutes with the Secretary of State (unlike the annual Statement of Information, which is filed - along with a $25 fee - with the Secretary of State) and these minutes are best prepared either by corporate officers/directors, if they know how to do so, or by a business attorney (who can also review the corporations's prior meeting minutes and bylaws for potential areas for improvement, changes, and the like).

Unfortunately, while the mailings usually contain fine print that indicate "this is not a government document" and that the fee and service offered is not mandatory, many have been confused or misled by the mailers, resulting in a negative review for one of these companies by the Los Angeles Better Business Bureau.

The senders of these letters offer to assist California corporations with something that they indeed should be doing, preparing and filing with the corporate records annual meeting minutes, but their fees are high in relation to the limited service offered, and their advertising methods are questionable.

10/2007 update: Latest mailings for my clients are most frequently coming from sender and return address Corporate Compliance Center, 2740 Fulton Ave., Ste. 203, Sacramento, CA 95821-5183; Corporation Compliance Recorder, Administrative Clerk Division, P.O. Box 66186, Los Angeles, California 90066; and California Corporate Services: Business Division, 3308 El Camino Ave., Suite 300-609, Sacramento, CA 95814, all with the additional legend, "THIS IS NOT A GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT", and Corporate Business Bureau, Corporate Business Division, 8939 S. Sepulveda Blvd., #110-727, Los Angeles, CA 90045.

12/2007 addition: Board of Business Compliance, Annual Minutes Division, P.O. Box 93069, Los Angeles, CA 90093-0069 ("Business mail - Important Notice Enclosed; This is Not A Government Document").

2/2008 addition: Compliance Services, P.O. Box 1265, Studio City, California 91614-0265.

7/2008: Some readers have asked what they can do to thank me for the information provided here. While always appreciated, no thanks is necessary. Of course, if you or your friends, relatives, or colleagues are in need of the legal services I offer, please let them know about me and my website, bookmark the site, and keep me in mind for your future legal services; having you or them as my next client is the best thanks I can receive. And if your California corporation is in need of actual customized and attorney-drafted corporate minutes or attorney assistance with ongoing maintenance of your business entity, those are services we offer.

Note that some or all of these addresses may be postal or private mail box (PMB) facilities, so that other businesses may share the same address(es), and that the opinions expressed in the comments below are those of their respective authors and in general do not identify a specific company.

September 2008 update: Complaints may be filed with the California Attorney General by mail, telephone, fax, Internet, or email, as follows:

Attorney General's Office
California Department of Justice
Attn: Public Inquiry Unit
P.O. Box 944255
Sacramento, CA 94244-2550

TELEPHONE: 1-800-952-5225 (Toll-free in CA) or (916) 322-3360

FAX: (916) 323-5341

WEBSITE: http://ag.ca.gov/consumers

EMAIL: piu@doj.ca.gov

=============================

I was quoted in a Santa Monica Daily Press newspaper article on this topic earlier this year:
While there is nothing inherently wrong with the service that the AMCB is allegedly offering, the deception of business owners lies in the marketing tactic, according to Jonas Grant, a Burbank attorney who has represented a client who filed a lawsuit against one of the suspect companies.

Corporations are required by law to keep a record of minutes from the annual meeting of shareholders when officers are elected. The problem with the form is it implies that the corporation is required to file the minutes, when it actually just needs to make sure it has one on record, Grant said.

Grant noted that one of his clients who paid the fee to the compliance board did receive back the meeting minutes, though it was written in an unprofessional manner, he said.

When receiving similar types of letters, one of the warning signs that businesses can watch out for is the price of the fee, which should never be more than $25, Grant said.

Business owners should also always keep an eye out for the fine print.

The tip off in the letter sent to the Westside Economic Collaborative was the fine print at the very bottom, which states that the product or service being offered is not endorsed by any government agency. The fine print also adds that the service is not a “statement of account due,” but rather a solicitation.

“If you look at the fine print, you’ll know for sure if it’s garbage,” Grant said. “If it’s over $25, it’s probably not the right thing.”

October 2008 update: California Corporate Documentation Services, 1146 North Central Avenue #443, Glendale, CA 91202, "BUSINESS MAIL - IMPORTANT NOTICE ENCLOSED, THIS IS NOT A GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT"; CCDSquestions@aol.com; operated by CALIFORNIA CORPORATE DOCUMENTATION SERVICES, INC. Sadly, a member of the State Bar of California, Romel Ambarchyan, whose address of record with the State Bar is the same as California Corporate Documentation Services, Inc.'s, appears to at the very least be acting as the agent for service of process for this company.

November 2008 update: Department of Business Minutes, 4470 W. Sunset Blvd., #380, Los Angeles, CA 90027 ("Business mail - important notice enclosed; this is not a government document").

February 2009 update: New Annual Review Board mailing targets LLCs with Statement of Information related letter, 333 S. Grand Ave., 25th Floor, Los Angeles, California 90071, 213-943-1320; requests $228 payment - the actual Secretary of State Statement of Information filing costs $20 and is filed every two years.

California's Secretary of State has issued a customer alert regarding what it terms "misleading solicitations".

March 2009 update: The U.S. Postal Service is interested in hearing from any consumers who have actually filed and paid for any of the above reference minutes services; if you have relevant information, please contact:
Mr. Mike McCarthy, Postal Inspector
U.S. Postal Service
281 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91101-9998
626-405-1359
April 2009 update: State Bureau of Corporations, Annual Minutes Filing for Corporations and LLCs, P.O. Box 5909, Sacramento, CA 95817.

June 2011 update: Annual Business Renewal Center (ARBC), LLC Filing and Renewal Department, P.O. Box 27265, Los Angeles, CA 90027. Charging $175 to file a $20 Statement of Information. A not particularly well chosen name considering that LLC Statements of Information are due biennially, rather than annually.

October 2016 update: California Council for Corporations, 2443 Fair Oaks Boulevard, #216, Sacramento, CA 95825-7684, services@councilforcorps.com, (888) 408-0886. Clearly marked as NOT A GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT and a solicitation on the envelope, and at the bottom of the order form; asking $150 for preparation of corporate consent minutes in lieu of meeting minutes.

113 comments:

Anonymous said...

So, I fell for this. Since they are not giving me any service whatsoever, shouldn't I be able to get my money back? Who is there to even call? And last, is anyone suing? This can't be legal at the end of the day when they are not giving me anything in return.

Jonas M. Grant said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I am so glad I came across your article before we fell for this scam hook, line and sinker. Thank you for your sage advice!

Unknown said...

I just received one of these letters and it's from "BOARD OF BUSINESS COMPLIANCE" they charge $95 and I've received others in the past. They think they're so slick using names & logos that lead people to think that they're a government agency. Don't let anyone you know fall for this, these companies are ridiculous!

Dignity4Me said...

This is very helpful information as I almost fell for the letters too. Thank You!

Anonymous said...

I JUST receive this letter and had to google "board of business compliance." I'm very happy to have stumbled upon this site... I felt that this was fishy as anything official woudl come out of "Sacramento" and would be mailed to a real office, not some P.O. Box. I really hope someone sues the hell out of these guys.

Anonymous said...

Thank you California Business Law Blog for this posting. I too Googled Board of Business Compliance as I just received two notices from them re. my California companies. You just saved me $250 and time spent filing an erroneous statement. I knew something was amiss with this notice. Many thanks!!!!

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for posting this warning on your blog. Like my job isn't hard enough having to manage all of our entities' state filings, now I have to figure out which filings are legit and which aren't! Thanks for saving me valuable time and stress.

Chris M. said...

Our small religious congregation recently received this with an interesting variation: They provide sample forms to use, free of charge. Nowhere does it say, "Not a government document." I'm used to seeing those and ignoring them.

So here's the twist along with the free samples: They have almost accurate but slightly erroneous information about our officers. They invite us to reply with corrections. I am wondering if this is intentional -- fishing for live prospects who will submit the corrected info, and thus qualify them as targets for followup for costly and unnecessary services.

Anonymous said...

I echo previous comments. As a national non-profit, with various local sites, we are often faced with the challenge of knowing which state laws apply to which offices. We just received a similar notice, requesting a $120.00 payment with deceptive and misleading wording. Thank you to you all and the California Business Law Blog for sharing your knowledge, and preventing our organization from being scammed.

Anonymous said...

Thank you! I also just received this letter and googled "board of business compliance" since I thought the request was quite odd. Luckily I found your site. I really hope the govt authorities take steps to stop these guys.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for posting this information. The document is very official looking and deceiving! My letter has a return address of P.O. Box 93069 and it's obvious they are trying to rip me off. Thanks again! :)

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your Blog on this. I received two GREEN letters for two corporations and since I have had corporations out of state, I thought the CA requirement was unique. After searching the net, I found your site. Thank you!!!!!
I'm trashing them and filing the correct renewal docs directly.

Anonymous said...

I was about to write the check - and noticed that the form was not quite right... web search took me to this site and confirmed my doubts... these guys are crooks!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for taking the time to post about this!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for taking the time to post about this!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your blog. It is official looking, but as some have said, not quite right. They also include in the fine print that this is a salutation for the order of service. You have saved me from spending $500 of my company's money!

Anonymous said...

I am so glad I googled for more information regarding this "Disclosure Statement" from "Board of Business Compliance" received. Thank you. I think the goverment should go after the one who owns "P.O. BOX 93069, LOS ANGELES CA 90093-0069" and get them stop this wrong business.

Anonymous said...

We have been getting letters like this for a few years now. They are all suspicious. Thank you for your page, it sure clarified my doubts. I am sending the contact person at the Attorney Generals office the information on the latest 2 letters I have recieved. I hope everyone else does too.
Dyana

Jonas M. Grant said...

Anon 4/2/08 - The A.G.'s office needs the outside enveope, as well as the contents. Mail the entire thing (opened or not) to them.

Anonymous said...

Like everyone else, I am glad I found this site. When I received the Annual Minutes Disclosure Statement from Corporate Compliance Filings, I set it aside with all my other state filings that are due. When I had time to review it, I noticed the entity they referenced is not a CA domestic entity - which caused me to do some searhing and find out the truth. I plan on sending this to the AG's office. These people need to be stopped!Thanks for setting up this site!

Anonymous said...

I got one of these yesterdy. from annual minutes compliance board, po box 38130 los angeles, ca 90038-0130, marked 2008 in bold on outside of envelope. thanks for the info.

Anonymous said...

I was about to sit down and write a check as well, but the form just didn't look right to me. I had already filed my statement of information with the State, so this started making less and less sense. My envelope is from the State Corporate Compliance: Annual Minutes Compliance.
Statement of Information
P.O. Box 515381
Los Angeles, Ca 90051-6681. I have left a msg with the A/G, hopefully the state will step in and stop these guys...what a bunch of crooks! $15O...what a sham!

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for your blog!!! We almost fell for this untill I did a little searching and found your blog. The letter we recieved was from CCF "Corporate Compliance Filings" and they wanted $175 and wanted us to "comply within 10 business days". The VERY fine print at the bottom says "This product or service has not been approved by any Government agency. This is a solicitation".

Anonymous said...

I received this as well; address Annual Minutes Compliance Board, P.O. Box 38130, Los Angeles, CA 0130 requesting a $95 annual fee. I am sure they won't file anything with the State for you. You can file your California Statement of Information at: https://businessfilings.sos.ca.gov/
There is a $25 fee, but it is required annually, "during the 5 months preceding the anniversary of your original corporate filing." An official reminder will come to you if you are out of compliance it would come directly from the Secretary of State. Why this continues is beyond me, I suppose law enforcement is more concerned about other things than business, and non-profits being bilked out of thousands if not millions of dollars.

Anonymous said...

I remember filing last year with them paid $125 and thank for this blog that this is a bogus company. I want to be included in action lawsuit against this company. Contact me:
jcamesa@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

The numerous spelling and syntax errors were an immediate giveaway.

Anonymous said...

I receive a letter today which ask me to pay $275 before 6/30 or $325 if not. Because I never heard of any of this fee, so I went to state web site with nothing found. After google it, I found a lot about this 'scam'. I will report it to state Attorney General about this. Thank you so much for saving a day.

Anonymous said...

State Corporate Compliance Annual Minutes Compliance ECM #8695 P.O. BOX 515381 LOS ANGELES, CA 90051-6681

julius said...

Well apparently they've raised their rates to do nothing because mine called for $275.00

Thanks to everyone here - definitely would have fell for it had I not grown suspicious and found this website.

Anonymous said...

I too just received a notice from the Board of Business Compliance. It took me three read throughs to realize it didn't sound right. When I Googled their name the first two listings were information about this scam.

I'll be forwarding to the Attorny General's office.

Anonymous said...

Compliance Annual Minutes Board
Business Division
PO BOx 12012
Hemet, CA 92546
Annual Fee $150

Anonymous said...

Susie Lorden, (Associate Governmental Program Analyst -from the top of this blog) is on leave till August 2008 not sure if they are still doing anything about this company but I may follow up with someone else. Just recieved a letter from the Hemet CA location shown in the blog.

Anonymous said...

Thank you. You just saved us from making the same mistake. I can't believe they are still getting away with this. At least someone out there is looking out for our interests.

Jonas M. Grant said...

Comment recently received by email - sender's name and address redacted:

From: [REDACTED] [mailto:[REDACTED]@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2008 8:53 AM
To: jonas@incorporatecalifornia.com
Subject: You Are Dishonest

You intentionally mislead people by giving your service an official sounding name.

This is dishonest. You do it because you know that you would get very little business if you advertised your service.

If it is illegal to pose as a law enforcement officer then it should be illegal to pose as a government office....

If I were in charge your fate would be decidedly different.

If I were in charge you would suffer and languish in prison for 50 years.

If you don't repent and change your ways, your fate in the afterlife will be much worse then 50 years in prison and I will smile because you deserve it.

Remember, God is always watching you and knows what you are doing and thinking.



And my emailed response:

You don't really say, but I'm guessing you are talking about some kind of annual minutes solicitation. These don't come from me - please read my blog post on this topic more carefully, which includes contact information for the attorney general's office should you wish to report your solicitation (some of which are illegal, and some of which are just unethical):

http://californiabusinesslaw.blogspot.com/2007/01/california-corporate-compliance-annual.html

Because I have written a blog post exposing these guys and listing their addresses, my name will come up if you google their names or addresses, but if you look closely, you will see that I am not the actual 'service' in question.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for putting up this site. I just received this in the mail yesterday.."Board of Business Compliance". What made me skeptical is they put, "This is a salutation for the order of service, and not a bill, invoice or statement due. No obligation to make any payments unless you accept this offer" If it were an official thing, they wouldn't have said there was no obligation for payment. They also had a couple of spelling errors in the form which made me laugh. So first thing this morning I did a google search. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING UP THIS SITE. You are saving alot of people from getting "taken".

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much... I just filed it under G for Garbage.

Jai said...

We got one here in MD for a subsidiary in CA. Our VP thought it looked liked a scam and your website confirmed it. Thanks for posting about this!

Stacy said...

Thank you Jonas :)
Yes it looked a little fishy to me also when I first received the "Disclosure Statement". My companies corporate office is located out of WI; however we do have a location in CA. The laws and taxes are considerable different there in CA, so anytime I get something from the state of California I read it very carefully.

Anonymous said...

I just got this notice today in Arizona. I immediately thought it was fishy because the address on the envelope was:
Board of Business Compliance
Annual Minutes Division
125 N. 2nd Street, Ste. 110-202
Phoenix, AZ. 85004

BUT it was postmarked from zip code 91203 which is California.
Then I opened the form and really got suspicious... the backside is poorly copied with most of the page being faded beyond readability and there is no contact information other than the address (who doesn't put their phone number and website on correspondence these days?). Since I knew I'd never seen anything like this before, I did a search on yahoo and got your site. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the information...we've been receiving a lot of these letters. My accountant had spotted the problem and told me to toss the letter.

Steve Maugeri
Beemer & Benz, Inc.

Anonymous said...

  These letters are by no means new, or limited to California, but appear to be ubiquitous at the present time for California corporations

Anonymous said...

I got one of these in the mail today (7/24) saying I needed to respond by the 25th ! I was sure I had already sent money to the compliance and I checked my online banking. It was the Compliance Annual Minutes Board and it was for $150 and now I realize that I was ripped off already !!!
Someone said Nowhere does it say, "Not a government document." I'm used to seeing those and ignoring them.,,,,, well it does on the outside of the envelope it was sent in. "

Anonymous said...

I never post comments on blogs, but I had to thank you for confirming my suspicions with Board of Business Compliance in Los Angeles. I have an out-of-state corporation and was wondering why I had never gotten this report before and then I noticed the mailing address was in LA (dead giveaway there). I have to say it was one of the most official looking scams I have gotten!

Anonymous said...

I also received this phoney document. I am the person who files all corporate documents for our Company so I knew this was completed. I noted the disclaimer at the bottom and I also googled Board of Business Compliance and found your blog. I have submitted a complaint to the BBB in CA and also filed a complaint with the State Attorney General's office. This blog does a great service. Keep up the good work on helping people sort out the scam. P.S. Remember, The Official Secretary of State must be filed in January .
BG, Torrance, CA

Anonymous said...

I just received one from "Board of Business Compliance" "Annual Minutes Division" "P.O. Box 93069" "Los Angeles CA 90093-0069"

They wanted $125 dollars!

SmittyinLA said...

I'm going out with my wife and have nice dinner instead. I may have to pay more than the $125 this dummy scam company is asking for but...hey $125 is, after all, $125. thanks for the heads up counselor.

Anonymous said...

thank you thank you !!! I just got it in the mail, the Board of Business compliance, annual minutes division. I almost fell for it...

now you saved me $150. thanks a lot.

Anonymous said...

`Thank you saved us $125.

sent from POB 93069, LA, CA 90093-0069, with return envelope to same PO Box.


Fax'd info to address in San Diego,

frank holden

Anonymous said...

We received three of these misleading advertisements today. I went to the Better Business Bureau site and filed a complaint there also (there are already plenty of complaints against this "Board of Business Compliance"). Thank you SO much for taking the time to create this blog and warn the rest of us who might have otherwise been scammed out of hundreds of dollars.

Anonymous said...

Add me to the list of thankful, potentially duped, business owners. And, thanks to Google for making this blog easy to find.

Anonymous said...

Man Oh Man! I've been at my job for 22 years, 20 of them as S/Treas. This one ALMOST got me! I had filled it out, but was sceptical (something wasn't right...) So I looked it up and went directly to this website. Kudos to you Jonas for the site. I will keep your info in the event I do need assistance with compliance. Good job.!

Anonymous said...

I just received four of the BOARD OF BUSINESS COMPLIANCE notices and suspected they were off. Sure enough...everyone here confirmed. Thanks for the postings and I hope everyone takes the time to report them to the BBB and Attorney General. I will.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the great info/blog Jonas!!
I received two bogus invoices for two subsidiaries registered in CA.
I'm forwarding everything to the CA Attorney General as you suggested.
You confirmed my suspicion.
You're an inspiration in this world of unethical slugs...

Anonymous said...

Thank you! Just got one in the mail today from
Board of Business Compliance P.O. Box 93069 LA, Ca 90093
Thanks for the great info, you are helping a lot of us.

Jason said...

Very helpful info, thanks for posting it! I received a disclosure statement form the Board of Business Compliance Annual Minutes Division that stated an annual fee of $125.00 is now due. I had to read through the fine print to find the disclosure "This product or service has not been approved or endorsed by any government agency..."

This scam must be illegal even with the disclosure since it is very official looking and says $125.00 is now due.

Unknown said...

I received this form last week and got very confused. First of all, my business is an LLC and I wasn't sure why they wanted me to file corporate minutes. Plus, I have two LLCs and did not receive this form for my other one. Thirdly, I had never received this form and I've had my LLCs for two years. I was also trying to find a phone number to contact them. When I couldn't, I googled it and found this website. Thank you so much for the information. You all saved me $125!

Anonymous said...

Well done with this money-saving website. I nearly paid the $125.00 "annual fee" for Annual Minutes Compliance Board, but thought I'd already paid this year. Sure enough, $150.00 "annual fee" was paid in March of '08. I'm also embarrassed to admit I paid $125 in June of '06 to Corporation Compliance Recorder Business Programs Division...it looked so official...WHAT A SCAM! The fact that there is more than one dishonest organization out there sending these official looking documents has caught up with them and they won't get any further hard-earned $$ from me. I've also sent formal complaints to the AG's office. All of these bogus companies ought to be sued...I'd happily enter into a class action suit.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for saving my life!!!!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for putting this blog! I just got one from BOARD OF BUSINESS COMPLIANCE this morning! Those guys are really rip-off! Is there anyway to stop them walking away from this? We work so hard for our business and they just steal our money. They don't have hearts!

Anonymous said...

Thank you, I too felt something was wrong and found your blog.
Nice of you to post it.
Cheers!

Anissa Thompson said...

Thank goodness for your post... I Googled "Board of Business Compliance" as soon as I got the **almost** legit-looking letter, and got your site first. Now I can go lock my business check book back in the safe! ;)

2nd Generation Rice-Eater said...

THANKS SO MUCH. I googled the document name and found this page. This just saved me hundreds of dollars.

It is very deceptive and full of small print and run-on sentences!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for posting this Jonas! I thought it looked fishy, as our non-profit museum has never had to do this before in my last 10 years with the organization. Thank goodness I had the presence of mind to check the web on this one.

Our document was from the "Annual Minutes Compliance Board", address PO Box 38130, Los Angeles, CA 90038-0130. They wanted $125.00.

Anonymous said...

I found your website (first on the list) and read it with a great deal of interest. I have been solicited by a scammer like this in the past, but did nothing more than throw out the notices. I just received three more notices from the Department of Business Minutes. Since all my legitimate corporate correspondence comes directly from the State, I thought something did not look quite right, especially with the retrun address being on Sunset Blvd in LA. What can we do to put this party and others like them out of business?

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU!!! I tried to pay these scammers online but couldn't find their web-site. I did find yours! I've hastily paid these guys already over the last couple of years without reading the fine print and got the "Minutes" in the mail. But I this time or forever more. I will also alert my corporate clients about this bogus organization.

Again, THANKS VERY MUCH!

Paula Straub said...

Glad I did checking. Got a "Disclosure Statement" from the Department of Business Minutes asking for $125. Read through the fine print and noticed it was likely a scam. My web search confirmed it. I will be forwarding this to the AG

Anonymous said...

Jonas, thanks very much for your quick education on this menace. In our blogosphere age, getting confirmation from a credible source is helpful. I just spoke with a gentleman from the AG's office in San Diego. He says they've identified the suspect, who they report is an LA County resident (they believe it's one individual). He said there's a better chance of prosecution if handled by LA DA's office. Other than the scam's inherent deception, what perhaps bothers me more is the criminal's easy access to our contact information to mail these out in the first place. Why can't the privacy laws protect us from this time-wasting garbage?!

Anonymous said...

Got mine today, thanks much for the info.. Looked like a scam, is/was a scam.

Department of Business Minutes
4470 W. Sunset Blvd. #380
Los Angeles, Ca 90027

Anonymous said...

Got mine last week.
Beware:
Department Of Busiess Minutes
P.O. Box 41227
Los Angeles, CA 90041

Anonymous said...

Got mine today...beware of:

COMPLIANCE SERVICES
PO BOX 1265
STUDIO CITY, CA 91614-0265

Thanks for your blog and alerting us to this scam! I hope these worthless pieces of s**t running this "Compliance service" rot in hell!

Anonymous said...

Thank you! You're a life-saver!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for helping me save $125 for a scam mail from the department of business minutes!

I think we should all sign a petition a file a class complaint against these scams!!

pabulum said...

thanks for making this very clear explaination available. i received a couple of these solicitations which would have put me out almost $500.

so once again, thanks

Anonymous said...

So close to writing a check for this bogus company!! It did have on the form that it wasn't a government agency, but the way the form is written i had thought that maybe this was a legal company endorsed by the state, so glad i checked this out beforehand!!!

Anonymous said...

I actually fell for this the first time and didn't even realize it. In the midst of paperwork and paying bills, sometimes it's gets lost in the hustle and bustle. This time around i realized I received two of the same letters basically requesting 125 and the other requesting 125 but basically asking the same thing. I read it, and read it again.. and then googled and thanks to this site happily shredded the crooks papers.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this post.

Address on mine was:

Compliance Annual Minutes Board
Business Processing Division
PO Box 6202
Murrieta, CA 92564

Annual Fee: $150

Anonymous said...

I am very grateful to have decided to look on the internet after receiving the notice and then seeing this site.

The notice I received was from the:

Department of Annual Minutes Compliance
P.O. Box 32369
Los Angeles, CA 90032

Annual Fee: $125

Anonymous said...

I hate to think how many business people or A/P Clerks just pay these kinds of bills without knowing what they are. Look how many comments on here over the last couple years and just imagine how many others sent that check.

These people exist because it's so easy to take other people's money. That's sad for all of us.

If you're not going to review your bills, can I have your address?

Anonymous said...

July 2009 - I just received 2 letters regarding this very thing. 'Business Filings Division- Statement of Information LLC' with a fee of $239 and a 'Disclosure Statement from the (DAMC) Department of Annual Minutes Compliance' with a fee of $125. I'm glad I googled it, because it sure did seem fishy. Thanks for the info!!!

Anonymous said...

Business Filings Division
LLC Unit
980 Ninth St. 16th FL
Sacramento, CA 95814-2736

Tight deadlines
$228 dollar 'fee'

Nikole Crowe said...

Thank you so very much for taking the time to post this information! - Wow. I am so happy I googled all of this prior to making this payment. I am going to send this link to everyone I think would benefit from this useful information!

Thank you so much, you really saved me some cash!

Anonymous said...

We just received from Department of Annual Minutes Compliance: PO BOx 32369, Los Angeles, Ca 90032. It also included our File # from the state and names of members.

Thank god the form looked off to me and I googled the name and all these fraud alerts came up. I was filling in the form, thinking "I just filed my statement of information with the state, why do I need this?" and wanted to look up why this needed to be done. So thanks to everyone who posted - it saved us $125!!!

Anonymous said...

Everybody should spread the word about http://annualreviewboard.com/. They've compiled lots of great information about this scam and what you can do to take action against these people.

Anonymous said...

The Board of Business Center requiring a Disclosure Statement and $125 is also a scam. P.O. Box 39876, Los Angeles, CA 90039

Anonymous said...

I just got the $239 business filings division, Sacramento CA. For some reason I wanted to check to see if it was real. How the hell are we suppose to know. We have enough on our plates. I got lucky but have wasted half my day stewing about it. I am pissed. If I was in the Sac area I would stake out that address and put an end to this scam. Unreal the balls these people have.

Anonymous said...

Linna
I just got a letter from sending and return adress: Corporate business bureau, corporate divison, 8939 S.Sepulveda Blvd, #110-727, Los Angeles, CA 90045, about 3 weeks ago, and the letter(one page) title is ANNUAL MINUTES OF SHAREHOLDER & DIRECTORS DISCLOSURE STATEMENT (domestic stock corporation only) **annual fee $150.00**, remit by 10/30/2009, the first line is stated: california corporation business and records code read in part $$1500,$$600,$$9510.,then blah blah explaining re: those codes, then it states that to ensure appropiate processing & fulfillment,please return this form with proper payment in the enclosed envelope. THANK GOD, I DID SOME SMALL RESEARCH RE THIS INVOICE THROUGH THE INTERNET, OTHERWISE I MUST HAVE SENT THE PAYMENT! THANKS FOR THE WEBS-JONAS M.GRANT PC.

Todd M. said...

Thanks! Very grateful for your services. Just got an "Annual Minutes Disclosure Statement" form in the mail from "Office of the Compliance Recorder" yesterday. Thanks for the heads up about the scam.

Tammy said...

Received in SF from "Office of the Compliance Recorder" with this return envelope address:

Compliance Recorder
Remit Clerk Division
P.O. Box 91240
Los Angeles, CA 90009-1240

Unfortunately the gal who retrieves our mail tossed the outside envelope.

Anonymous said...

This blog confirmed my suspicion the internet once again saved me money. So close to paying but like other bloggers gut feeling! and then this blog. Going to send California Compliance co P.O. box 1265 Studio City 91614 a fake check for 1000 and write nice try! Bastards! Thanks RCVR

Anonymous said...

Just received the letter from Compliance Services , $125 fee, with a PO Box in Studio City. Thanks for the warning. I was taken last year for $225 from Corporate Filing Unit . BEWARE of this scam to. They say they will fill out the Statement of Information but don't . DONT fall for this scam (who uses a "state" look and even has an address from Sacramento). These idiots have to be tracked down and stopped by the authorities...

Anonymous said...

Compliance Services P.O.box 1262 Studio City Ca ...is a SCAM !!! there is no phone number, no website link, no name and displays "THIS IS NOT A GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT" just below the return address on the envelope we throw away, well I didn't throw away this time. These people should not be allowed to send this out. Its confusing & misleading ! I would never do business with any company that doesnt give a PHONE NUMBER OR WEBSITE ADDRESS.. ! NEVER !!!

RESROC said...

Thank you for the danger warning about the LFC (PO BOX 515381 Los Angeles, CA) letter. I've discarded the letter I received. Thanks again!

Anonymous said...

Mine was from P O BOX 27265 LA, CA 90027.
I am really glad I came across with this posting. I thought the letter was fishy because it is not time to pay for annual fee. Anyways, thank you a million for advise.
Aloha

kaela said...

Thank you for your blog. I almost got duped, but it did look suspicious since I've never had to pay for this before. They wanted $129, which was past due (due 3/31/11). They're pretty clever in looking up my business info.

I just got one from:

California Business Compliance Agency
Business Records Division
P.O. Box 13677
Sacramento, CA 95813-9998

MJD said...

I just got one from Corporate Minutes Services, Compliance Division at 12021 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 503, LA , CA 90025. How is this not illegal?s

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much. you saved out non-profit club $150.

Anonymous said...

The church my parents go to just got one and it definitely looks like a scam to me. The paper looks like it's a photocopy, not very professional. The fee they are asking is $129 which according to some of the blogs I have read here, it is way too high. Also, in the disclaimer it says it is a "non-government business providing corporate services to corporations". If they are a non-government business then why are they demanding money and giving a dead-line to make the payment? This does not make sense at all. People should beware.

Here is their information:
Corporate Minute Services (C.M.S)
12021 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 503 Los Angeles CA 90025 (866) 526-9594

Anonymous said...

Corporate Minutes Services Inc CMS 12021 Wilshire Blvd 503 Los Angeles, CA 90025. Enayat Kohanzad is the individual associated with the suspended corporation. Check for yourself at the CA secretary of state website. FYI: Consumer complaints against a business can be filed online at the state of California office of attorney general.

Anonymous said...

THAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I just got one from "Corporate Minutes Services, Compliance Division 12021 Wilshire BLVD Suite 503, Los Angeles, CA 90025". If I lived around there I would drive down there and start some . This is such a bs scam. I really wish someone would shut them down. The layout and wording is very misleading and setup to trick you into thinking it is from a legitimate source.

Anonymous said...

I just got one from "Corporate Minutes Services, Compliance Division 12021 Wilshire BLVD Suite 503, Los Angeles, CA 90025". If I lived around there I would drive down there and start some . This is such a bs scam. I really wish someone would shut them down. The layout and wording is very misleading and setup to trick you into thinking it is from a legitimate source.

DW said...

Any of you people who got scammed by this is an idiot. I only looked it up to see what kind of scam it was. I sent them back a homeade check from dick fitswell. haha

Anonymous said...

Castle Rock, CO, received this letter also; paid $125 November 2012 and demanded payment back a couple of days ago via their email address. Received full refund for $125. Called CO Attorney General's Office and they have known about this company for three years and can do nothing about it; I was referred to the Postal Inspector's Office. I will be filing a complaint with them. Also went on local radio to expose these criminals. You can get your money back if you already paid, just DEMAND it via their email address since they REFUSE to provide you a name and phone number.

Cherie said...

This is fantastic!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your information, I thought this was a scam so I searched it and ran upon your site. You have provided a very valuable public service

Ray

Anonymous said...

I recently became the president of a local football booster club that is incorporated. The outgoing president handed me one of those letters and said be sure to get it in before the due date because he had to pay late fees the previous year for not turning it in on time. I guess they had been paying for this "service" for a few years now. I saw the "scamminess" of it right away and did a quick search.

anonymous said...

I got one form CORPORATE COMPLIANCE CENTER
ANNUAL MINUTES COMPLIANCE NOTICE Day before yesterday, asking for $ 150 before 4/30/2016 payable CCC. Before to pay i searched the net about notice .I read your site. Thanks you to get know me it is a scam . You have provided valuable service.Thanks




April 9,2016 @ 9:52PM

anonymous said...

I got one form CORPORATE COMPLIANCE CENTER
ANNUAL MINUTES COMPLIANCE NOTICE Day before yesterday, asking for $ 150 before 4/30/2016 payable CCC. Before to pay i searched the net about notice .I read your site. Thanks you to get know me it is a scam . You have provided valuable service.Thanks




April 9,2016 @ 9:52PM

Nydia said...

I want to thank you for this "eyeopener". I wish I had read this before. We have a small business and has been paying Corporate Compliance Center going back as far as 2010 paying them $100-$150 annually. This year I received a letter from Corporate Minutes Services "2017 Officers List Requirement" with any changes/corrections along with a payment of $100. Unfortunately I fell for it and complied. I feel so stupid in not noticing the small print the does read "this is a solicitation". My Question is: What company that provides Corporate Minutes services is legit?

Jonas M. Grant said...

Nydia - For eligible business entities, I provide these services as part of a corporate maintenance package currently $395/year - for more information, see http://www.jonasmgrant.com/maintenance.html

Unknown said...

Question:
If I take an old check from the account or bank, which does not exist any more and mail them $150.00. They will deposit it and will be charged by their bank $30.00 for depositing a bad check, which is a good thing to punish a scammer. How legal are my actions?
Actually for "As good as real services" they get "As good as real check" ...

Unknown said...

Question:
If I take an old check from the account or bank, which don't exist any more and mail them $150.00 they will be charged by their bank about $30.00 for depositing a bad check. This seems to be a nice way to punish a scammer. How legal are my actions?
Basically they receive "Almost as good as real check" for "almost as good as real service" they provide...