PORTNOFF LAW ASSOCIATES, LTD - Blog: Bible Prophecy Worth Reading

1
THE ALIQUIPPA, PENNSYLVANIA STORY
of
GREED, POLITICS, & DELINQUENT PROPERTY TAXES
FEATURING ALIQUIPPA SCHOOL BOARD & CITY COUNCIL
with
PORTNOFF LAW ASSOCIATES, LTD
IN A RELENTLESS BEATDOWN OF
ALIQUIPPA’S WEAKEST AND POOREST CITIZENS
2
BERNICE MASON
WHY I GOT INVOLVED
Let me say at the onset that I am a servant of Jesus Christ, called by God to become a licensed
minister, a Bible Prophecy scholar/teacher, an advocate for the poor.
Many years ago I heard the Word of the Lord in Psalm 94:16, saying “Who will rise up for me against
the evildoers? Or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? And in Isaiah 6: 8. “Also I
heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, or who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I
Lord, send me.”
I take very seriously God’s words in regard to the poor and needy, such as these:
Psalm 82:3, 4 “Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy.
Deliver the poor and needy: free them from the hand of the wicked.”
Proverbs 31:8, 9 “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights
of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and
needy.”
In 1998, when I learned that people were being ripped off (myself included) in the collection of
delinquent property taxes in Aliquippa, Beaver County’s most distressed city, I could not be silent. Many
people were treated unjustly, but the heaviest blows fell on the heads of the Aliquippa’s most needy
and vulnerable residents. Fifty + years ago during the Civil Rights Movement when the sins of America
were openly exposed to the entire world, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. urged the United States to repent,
quoting Amos 5:24: “Let judgment (justice) run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.”
Today we (plaintiffs in a lawsuit) have to admit that though we have tried, justice in Aliquippa has not
been obtained! Fighting the battle has been long and tedious; but through it all, I and others have hung
on, believing that one day justice would prevail. After many years when we felt we had finally attained a
level of success, things took a sharp turn downward. Some people do not even realize that we are still
fighting; but this report will let the people of Aliquippa know that we are -- and will also tell why we
have not yet been able to get justice for everyone through the Class Action Law Suit we sought
seventeen (17) years ago. The people of Aliquippa have a right to know that although we have done our
best, righteousness and justice have not prevailed. So in 2015, Portnoff Law Associates, Aliquippa, and
the State of Pennsylvania, “have been weighed in the balances and have been found wanting!” Daniel
5:27
GOD loves everyone, but from Genesis to Revelation it is clearly shown that HE has a special heart
for the poor and the needy. I am both humbled and honored that GOD has chosen me to speak on
behalf of those whom Christ Jesus, Our Lord called “the least of these my brethren.” Matthew 25:40
A caution to everyone regarding the poor:
Proverbs 14:31 “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but
whoever is kind to the needy honors GOD.” NIV
Proverbs 21:13 “Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry
himself, but shall not be heard.”
Note: I have purposefully mentioned only the names of key players and a few others.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are from the King James Version of the Bible.
3
THE ALIQUIPPA, PENNSYLVANIA STORY
When the Aliquippa, Pennsylvania story is fully written, let not this sordid bit of history be untold
of
GREED, POLITICS, DELINQUENT REAL ESTATE TAXES
ALIQUIPPA SCOOL BOARD & CITY COUNCIL & PORTNOFF LAW ASSOCIATES IN
A RELENTLESS BEATDOWN OF ALIQUIPPA’S WEAKEST & POOREST CITIZENS
This is the history of how Aliquippa, a little Pennsylvania city already distressed was thrown into
deeper despair with the aid and blessings of its own School Board and City Council, brandishing their
ruthless hatchet, Portnoff Law Associates.
It all happened without warning! Seventeen years ago in June 1998, as Aliquippa property owners
were struggling to pay delinquent property taxes through the Beaver County Tax Claim Bureau -- they
got a surprise letter in the mail: Aliquippa School Board and Aliquippa City Council had hired Portnoff
Law Associates to collect delinquent 1997 real estate taxes; and some action had to be taken quickly and
more money had to be coughed up soon, really soon. As it has turned out, many people have had to
pay out thousands of dollars and many others have lost their property. In the United States where
owning a home is the ultimate fulfilment of the American Dream, property should not be so easily taken
away … certainly not through the use of exorbitant legal fees; but that is what happened in Aliquippa.
This is a progress report, written especially for the 40+ people (and others) who started out
seventeen (17) years ago looking for justice for the injuries they suffered and for the shabby,
disrespectful way they were treated after the City of Aliquippa hired Portnoff Law Associates to collect
delinquent real estate taxes in 1998.
This report is also written for others:

Anyone who has been affected by the city of Aliquippa and Portnoff Law Associates and
want an opportunity to tell their stories.

The People of GOD, urging them to examine their thinking about justice and morality and
become more actively involved in the care of the “poor and needy,” as GOD has decreed.

Rich or wealthy people or those who want to be, so they may recognize and improve
their standing before GOD.

This report is for anyone, anywhere who cares about the welfare of poor people and
misused people and will lend their support verbally, financially, or however they can.
Wherever there is human suffering anywhere in the world – poverty, pain, chaos and confusion,
there is always, sometimes open, but also covered nefarious human activities, driven by greed, politics,
and the insatiable drive for power. Stating the WORDS of JESUS himself, Matthew 10:26 declares,
“There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; and hid that shall not be known.” The Aliquippa
Story will uncover the trappings of a corrupt tax collection system operating in Aliquippa and across the
state of Pennsylvania with the hope that reformation will occur at all levels of offense.
4
Written from a Judeo/Christian perspective of justice and morality, this report will acknowledge that
EVERYONE who has received the City’s and Portnoff letters over the years and has had to pay the rolling
legal fees, penalties and attorney costs has been injured in some way; but the focus of this report is on
the deeply troubling effect the Portnoff Collection Machine has had on the weakest, poorest, most
vulnerable owners of property in Aliquippa. Michael Kohlman of the Tax Claim Bureau, who had
warned that the City of Aliquippa and other “communities using Portnoff could end up being the owners
of rundown properties” described the Portnoff Process as “outrageous.”1a In the past, we (plaintiffs)
have talked much about the moral issues involved in the tax collection procedures, but it never seemed
to phase the City of Aliquippa or Portnoff Law Associates. By using the direct WORDS OF OUR LORD
GOD HIMSELF, instead of just arguing morality and ethics, this report will be different. It might even be
seen as “GOD’s MANIFESTO TO ALL READERS.” My prayer is that someone, somewhere will hear and
understand the WORD OF THE LORD!
FIRST A LITTLE HISTORY OF THE CITY OF ALIQUIPPA, PA
During the middle of World War II, Aliquippa was a bustling town of 27,000 people with Jones &
Laughlin Steel Corporation (J&L) serving as the ‘breadbasket’ for Aliquippa residents as well as for
neighboring small towns along the Ohio River.1b Following the closing down of J&L in the 1970’s and
‘80’s, Aliquippa, like many other United States cities that lost their manufacturing and other massemployment industries, saw a sharp decline in population and a gross rise in unemployment, along with
an increase in poverty, drug trafficking and crime. This is not to say that there are not many fine
people and many good, positive things happening within the city. Always have been.
In 2000 there were 11,675 residents; white, 62.87% and African-American, 35.21%.2 2000 stats show
a median household income of $25,113,3 The median house value was, and still is, significantly below
the state average.4
Aliquippa schools, once listed among the best in the State of PA, became one the school systems with
the lowest test scores in reading and math.5
In 1998, Aliquippa School District needed more revenue; so the School Board, mixing sheer greed
with legitimate need, persuaded Aliquippa City Council (which also needed funds) to join them6 and
together they flung wide the City Gates and ushered Portnoff Law Associates into their distressed
community to collect delinquent property taxes from their already distressed constituents.
Look Out Aliquippa!
NOW ALIQUIPPA’S STORY
For many years Aliquippa property owners had been permitted a two-year span to pay delinquent
property taxes through the Tax Claim Bureau at the Court House in Beaver, PA. The Tax Claim Bureau
always sent notices in plenty of time and had the penalty, interest and postage costs clearly stated.
Suddenly without notice, certified letters from the School District and the City came to property owners
in June and first-class letters in July of 1998 --- during the same time residents were straining to pay the
agreements they had made with the County to pay 1995- 96 taxes. The letters stated that the Aliquippa
School District and the City had hired Portnoff Law Associates from Wayne, PA, to collect 1997
delinquent taxes. The surprise timing, perfect for boosting Portnoff profits, was disastrous for residents
who now had to only a few weeks to pay 1997 taxes (along with 1995-96 tax claim agreements) or make
an agreement with Portnoff, (the letter said) before liens would be placed on their properties. Little did
property owners know at the time how quickly their tax debts would increase.
5
Having delinquent taxes is nothing for anyone to be proud of and there had to be people going
through Tax Claim who could have easily paid their taxes earlier; but the 2 year span given through the
Tax Claim Bureau did enable many people to keep paying their taxes and stay in their homes as they
struggled to make ends meet. Now without notice or any chance to prepare for change, they had not
two (2) years, but 30 days, (or make arrangements the letters stated). Sure, making arrangements
sounded “fair and compassionate,” but some could not meet the stringent requirements stated in the
June letters and the July letters were “where the nightmare started.” Read more about this later.
Attached at the end of this report are copies of June and July City and School Board letters, plus a legal
fees chart* that was enclosed with the letters.7 *
* The $135 fee to open file and send demand letter has risen over the years.
HOW I GOT INVOLVED
When I got my first certified letters, I was shocked. “How am I going to pay 1997 taxes for two
parcels,” I worried, “when I still have to pay the agreement I had made with the Tax Claim Bureau.” One
parcel was for my building/apartment, another for my deceased son Bill, Jr.’s house.
My daughter Lennie agreed to help with the taxes, so I made payment arrangements, began to pay
and thought nothing more of it. Weeks went by, until one day in October, I got another letter from
Portnoff saying $135 was added to one of my tax debts—the one my daughter was supposed to pay.
How could this be? She was always so efficient, dependable! “Oh, no” Len exclaimed, “I forgot!” One
hundred thirty five dollars late fee, I marveled—“that’s ridiculous!” A printout from Portnoff showed
that $135 had been added to a School District balance of $7.59 + $6.52 interest. That’s the first
knowledge I had of the “Great Portnoff Property Tax Rip-off in Aliquippa,” and that’s how I got involved
seventeen years ago, 1998.
I called my friend Gerri. “I got a letter too” she said, and she mentioned someone else, whose name I
can’t remember. We wondered how many other people had gotten letters. “We can’t be the only
ones.” Calling around, we learned there were other people, indeed. Gerri and I visited PA State
Representative Susan Laughlin in Ambridge to complain about the exorbitant legal fees/penalties and
how difficult it was to comply. She had already gotten a number of complaints. “Oh, Portnoff has a
‘hardship application’ for anyone having difficulty paying,” she explained. “What! We know nothing
about that. It was not in our letters.” Later we decided to call a meeting to see ‘what’s going on.’ We
were surprised to see how many people (40+) turned out for our first meeting, all clamoring to tell their
stories; but all had the same kinds of letters and the same concerns: all of the exorbitant fees being
added to tax debts because of late payments, some having letters mentioning ‘hardship applications’,
others not. Getting together and looking at the dates on the letters we were able to compare letters
and found some confusing differences between June and July letters.
We found that some who received letters in July had about two weeks from the date on the letters to
pay 1997 letters, while those in June had about one month from the time they received the letters. Still
a short time with no previous notice.
A sampling of letters sent in July stated that residents could request a hardship application. Hardship
was not mentioned in a sampling of letters sent in June.* 8 It seemed to be an afterthought placed in the
July letters (or it could have been deliberately left from the June letters.) When I did get my hands on a
hardship application, I was surprised to see how long, involved and intrusive the questions were. The
questions to be answered contained ---
6

All the usual questions about the applicant’s gross salaries and what type of work they did
in present and past jobs -- or if they were unemployed, the date of their last employment,
other income they had received within the past 12 months;

All their debts and obligations from mortgage to cable TV and everything else in between;

All property owned, including the make, model, year, cost, amount owed and payments due
on vehicle # 1 and # 2, and if there were others;

How much they received from contributions to the household from husband or wife (their
gross salary and type of work); also how much household contribution from children,
parents, or others;

The name of spouse and the names and ages of children, plus the names and relationship of
any others who were dependent upon the applicant for support;

Near the beginning of the form, which an applicant had to sign under the penalty of making
false statements were the words: I am unable to obtain funds from anyone, including
family and associates, to pay the school and city taxes;

Finally, there was space for the applicant fill in: I propose the following payment plan -which was followed by the Words, (Please be advised that the Aliquippa School District/City
of Aliquippa will not approve a payment plan which exceeds ______ months in length from
the date of submission of the Hardship application.9
The June and July letters stated that residents who wished a payment plan could call with proposed
terms. However, some soon discovered they could not make agreements they could manage according
to their income and circumstances: for those receiving letters in June, the letters stated they must pay
in 3 months, if less than $600 --- or have up to a year if more than $600. A sampling of July letters stated
that no payment plan could be made if their taxes were $500 or less, except in unusual circumstances,
and in no case could a payment plan exceed 6 months.
Closer examination showed that some people had received both June and July letters. We were all
entangled in letters and confusion, but we were in agreement on several points: The surprise timing was
deliberate and the legal fees were outrageous!
On another important note, many people complained of the rude, disrespectful way they were
treated when they did call to discuss their circumstances or make payment arrangements.
7
SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
A few of us attended a School Board Meeting to register our complaints. One school board member
was surprised, amused. “I thought the room would be packed,” he said. As primary spokesperson for
the group, I was nervous and visibly shaking because this was all new to me. I didn’t know what to do or
say, but I remember Solicitor Havey explaining that the fees charged were similar to credit card late fees
to which I replied, “The people being affected didn’t even have credit cards.”
In answer to the question, ‘why we were not given notice that the City would be hiring Portnoff to
collect delinquent taxes,’ School Board member Eugene “Salt” Smith said notice was given. “It was in
the paper,” he said. “You ought
to read the paper.” “When,
what edition?” We never got an
answer to that question; but
later, after much searching at
the library, I found a small
notice in the May 20, 1998
edition of the Beaver County
times.
That was it! A 2¼ x 4¼ inch
article on page 5 of the
newspaper. Like how many
people even get the paper and
being so tiny, who would even
notice or understand all it would mean to them as owners of property. Apparently the notice was
enough to satisfy Pennsylvania Law!
ALIQUIPPA SCHOOL BOARD AND CITY COUNCIL DECISIONS
The names of many Aliquippa School District and City officials have changed over the years, but in
1998 when the Portnoff delinquent tax program was adopted, James Mansueti was mayor of the City,
Rebecca Bradley was City Administrator, and Attorney Rick Start was solicitor. Dr. Paul Dinello was
superintendent of Aliquippa Schools, Arthur Piroli was Board president and Attorney John Havey was
solicitor. The School District was always the leader in pushing forward the Portnoff tax collection
process with the City following.10 Solicitor John Havey and Board Vice President Eugene (Salt) Smith
were the leading spokesmen and advocates for hiring Portnoff.
We learned that Smith, who himself had numerous houses on the delinquency list11 and remarked in
a Beaver County Times article, “We needed money and we needed it now rather than wait two years
from now,”11b had made the main motions in regard to the Portnoff procedures: one to approve
collection procedures and adopt a schedule of attorney fees to be added to the amounts collected as
part of municipal claims for delinquent accounts; and the other, to authorize the appropriate officials to
execute a one year agreement between the City of Aliquippa, the Aliquippa School District and Portnoff
Law Associates.12 Smith, we learned later on, had bought a least one of the houses lost through sheriff
sales.13 How many other houses Smith bought or what other members bought houses or benefited in
some way, we do not know.
8
KUDOS TO JESSIE BELLE WALKER
City Councilwomen Jessie Belle Walker (now deceased) was the only member of the City or the
School Board that voted NO to hiring Portnoff. All others seemed to think it was a grand idea. Portnoff
had been hired for a one year term but in April 1999, the City and School Board voted to hire Portnoff
for three more years and again Mrs. Walker was the only one voting NO! According to an April 8, 1999
Beaver County Times article, city officials, when speaking of the residents’ complaints, remarked that
after a year of dealing with Portnoff, residents should be accustomed to the firm’s tactics, while Mrs.
Walker said she would rather have sat down with the Tax Claim Bureau and worked out an agreement,
adding that while Aliquippa needed to collect all taxes due, she was concerned about Portnoff’s impact
on those who were already struggling financially.14
SO WHAT ARE EXCESSIVE FEES?
We (plaintiffs) were really puzzled by the differences in June and July letters but we finally figured it
out. As far as we could ascertain, certified letters were sent out in June. If the property owner did not
respond for whatever reason (and we do know a few),15 another letter was sent in July by first-class mail
which had the same tax debt amounts as given in June. The July letters did not say, “This is your second
notice” or use any other language to suggest they were doing what they said they would do in the June
letters. Portnoff told Representative Laughlin and others about the hardship clause (placed in the July
letters, not in June) but did not tell that in July, 30 days would soon be up in about 12 days and the
“hammer was about to fall.”
Examining one property owner’s first letter of July 6, 1998 revealed she had only 12 days from the
date of the letter to send $205.64 for city taxes and $446.87 for School taxes.
An owner who wanted a payment plan, her July form letter stated, had to contact Portnoff with a
proposed plan, but added “except in unusual situations,” there will be no payment plans if the
delinquency is less than $500, nor will any payment plan exceed 6 months. So this owner would be
allowed a payment plan because city and school taxes totaled $652.51 when combined. Note: How
many people reading this can pay out up to $500 in about 8 days? If you couldn’t, could your situation
satisfy the Portnoff qualification of “unusual situations?”
If there was a financial hardship, the letter further stated, the owner could call and request a
hardship application and return the completed form by July 18, 1998. Note: 12 days from the date of
the letter to call for, receive, complete and return the application
SO WHAT HAPPENED?
The next letter dated July 21, 1998, 15 days from the date of the first letter shows that the city and
school taxes had been combined and the total asked for had risen from $652.51 to $796.39; this amount
included interest and $135 for a demand letter. The letter further warned, “Unless payment was
received within 10 days of the date of this letter, a lien will be filed against your property. Note: it still
would take several days to receive and return the letter.
But the news get worse: “You should be further aware that the City of Aliquippa and the Aliquippa
School District will not accept payments of the amount that is delinquent. Payment must be made in
full. Note: this alarming statement was bolded and underlined.
9
Note: We will never know how many people gave up at the (July) point that ‘payment must be made in
full.’ (or even who gave up in June)
But a printout from Portnoff and a note from the owner revealed that although Portnoff said they
would not, they did indeed accept a plan to pay in 3 installments. Two payments were made but
something went wrong; so there came a third letter dated October 13, 1998, which stated, “This letter
will acknowledge your check in the amount of $446.88 (the last payment due) on October 9, 1998….
Please be further advised that prior to the receipt of your check we filed a “writ of scire facias” which
resulted in the additional accrual of legal fees and costs. There presently remains a balance of $455.91
which is due and owing and for which you are liable.” Then came the other dreaded words: Unless your
payment of $455.91 is made payable to and received by this office within 10 days from the date of this
letter, we shall recommended to our client that it proceed with legal action. Question: If you had paid
$446.88 on October 9, how many people reading this report could come up with another $455.91 in
about 8 days?
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?
In desperation the owner wrote: “Enclosed is the full amount that you ask for the $455.91. Your
mail reach me on the 15th of Oct. And the ten (10) days are not past due yet. This mailing is being sent
on Oct. 16, 1998.*16
WOW! That was close. Somehow this owner was able to secure the money and save her house.
Many others were not so blessed!
By the way, this third letter demanding the extra $455.91, signed by Michelle Portnoff, co-owner of
Portnoff Law associates along with her father Alan, was initialed /$OL.* 17 I asked someone what that
meant. A young person told me her thinking in terms I cannot print in this report. I don’t know about
her explanation but I do know that many people received October /$OL letters, which certainly meant
$$$$ for Portnoff Law Associates.
Whatever it may or may not mean, the $ initial was an affront to people who are being told, “Yes, we
received your payment, but you still owe us more.” It is a reminder of the tenant-farming experiences
that Black people encountered after slavery where they were entrapped on farms, never able to
completely pay off their debts.
One of my family’s properties slipped through the cracks. My first knowledge that it had not been
paid came through a very loud, authoritative sheriff’s knock on my door on October 8, 1998 with a
notice that $389.90 was due. I made the payment, and on November 2, 1998 a /$OL initialed letter
came from Portnoff acknowledging that the payment was received on October 23, 1998, but added,
“Please be advised that there presently remains a balance of $265.13, which is due and for which you
are liable.”18a No explanation whatsoever of why the additional amount was due, but it was supposed to
be paid and received within 10 days of the date of the letter. Was I the only one who received a “no
explanation balance due” after a sheriff’s visit? Looking at all of the houses that were sold. NOT SO!
The School District and City presently own more than 200 properties, many dilapidated, up from 35 in
2004, 10 in 2001 and five in 2000.18b
10
OUR FIRST ATTORNEY
Calling ourselves Aliquippa Concerned Citizens, our group began donating ourselves, asking others
for monetary donations and holding fund-raisers to get money to hire a lawyer. Our first action was to
petition for a preliminary injunction to halt the progression of legal fees while we prepared our case.
Beaver County Judge John McBride threw out the injunction.
I don’t remember who contacted him, but at one of our meetings, Attorney Allen Andrascik attended,
listened to our grievances and agreed to represent us, selecting four of us to serve as representatives in
preparation for Class Action: Louis Boykins, Loretta Boyd, and Ralph Smith and me, Bernice Mason. Our
relationship with Attorney Andrascik was short lived. After several meetings and stacks, stacks and
more stacks of papers from Portnoff, we were not able to keep up payments and Attorney Andrascik let
us know he would be unable to continue.
HELP, HELP, HELP!
After our lawyer efforts fell through it seemed as though our efforts would come to a halt, but we
continued to reach out in other directions for some support. Learning that Beaver Falls was having
similar issues with Portnoff collections, we attended a meeting with a small group there. For some
reason or other the people of Beaver Falls did not pursue the issue or join with us, except for one
resident who did attend several of our meetings. As time passed with no progress being seen, many
people stopped coming to our meetings, but a few of us hung on.
Scofflaws, Alan Portnoff called us in an October 22, 1998, Beaver County Times article. “The only
person being assessed with legal fees is the scofflaw,” he was quoted as saying.19 and we were all
assessed with legal fees. Name calling like “scofflaw” was a popular and effective propaganda tool
Portnoff used to justify his exorbitant legal fees/penalties; many people did not even know what
scofflaw meant, but they knew it was something bad and it blends in well with other names and
thoughts people have for the poor and needy, especially when Portnoff, in various newspaper articles,
added other inflammatory words: “Should the delinquent taxpayers who arrogantly ignore our
correspondence pay the collection costs, or should the honest taxpaying residents be forced to do so;20
and it’s unfair for people who pay taxes on time to carry the burden for those who don’t.”21
The many people caught up in the snare included all kinds of people with all kinds of issues; however,
the main people that lost their houses were not the scofflaws but the poorest of the poor, the most
financially entangled, or the least able to find help from family and friends. These people were not
arrogantly ignoring anything or refusing to pay; they did not have the money to pay these unexpected
bloated tax debts. Such talk does not make sense except to those who buy into that kind of biased
thinking.
The ‘real scofflaws’ and anyone else who had money or could get money would quickly pay and keep
their homes because they were able to. Other poor folks who were having trouble paying their bills,
including taxes, in the first place just lost their homes very quickly—some, sadly, after frantically trying
to keep up with the fast-paced Portnoff computer machine, rapidly churning out the legal fees,
penalties, and attorney fees. After a very few months, some people were ‘done in.’ One hard working
lady with very modest income is to be commended, I think. Instead of losing her home at a Sheriff’s
sale, she just gave it away to a friend. “I just can’t pay those extra fees,” she said. “No need to try. I
can’t keep up.”22
11
Alan Portnoff, earlier in the Beaver County Times, had described his firm as being “firm but
compassionate.”23 Other law firms were collecting delinquent taxes across the state of PA, but the
September 5, 1999 edition of the Times stated, “Portnoff admitting that the agency’s goal was to make a
profit added, ‘There’s no question that it’s a business,’ he said. ‘There’s also no question we do it
better than anyone else in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.’ 24
Truly, Portnoff Law Associates put fear in the hearts of Aliquippa property tax payers.
Aliquippa City Manager Rebecca Bradley said in the same edition of the Times, “What we’ve seen in
1999 is that more tax payers are paying their taxes on time to avoid Portnoff. We have actually
increased our current collections because people don’t want to go to Portnoff.”25
Alan Portnoff, himself, was firm – yes -- but did not seem to reflect the compassion he spoke of when
responding to Bradley’s comments concerning the fear of the people. The Times further wrote, “And
that’s fine with Alan Portnoff. He said it’s unfair for people who pay taxes on time to carry the burden
for those who don’t. Portnoff said he doesn’t mind penalizing tax scofflaws, and the critics be
damned.”26
The whole process, he said, is designed to make people pay. “Just pay your f-------- taxes.”27
OUR SEARCH FOR HELP CONTINUES
Still not giving up, I took it upon myself to write letters on behalf of Aliquippa Concerned Citizens to
anyone I thought would be sympathetic to our cause --- from area ministers, agencies, and local
organizations to PA senators and representatives, including members of the PA Congressional Black
Caucus (PA CBC), State Representative David Argall, Don Drisco, Community Justice Project, Attorney
General Mike Fisher, the ACLU, even to President Jimmy Carter, asking if he would speak out on our
behalf.
We got no response from most of the people contacted but did receive a letter from the ACLU saying
they could not help as our situation did not meet all of the criteria for the cases they supported and they
were also financially strapped. We also received an encouraging letter from State Representative Louise
Williams Bishop, PA CBC, saying that the problems with the collection method described in my letter
caused her great concern and she would look further into the matter and address it legislatively if
warranted. Her statements were in line with State Representatives Susan Laughlin, Joseph Preston and
Senator Gerald LaValle who had also promised their support through legislative action but explained
that turning things around would be a long, hard process. Although their valiant efforts failed, we thank
them for trying. The Beaver County NAACP never seemed to understand the gravity of our situation and
told us repeatedly, “No help here!”
We felt the words of Psalm 142:4
“I looked on my right hand and beheld, but there was no man that would know me:
refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.” Psalm 142:4
Sure the neighborhood ministers helped where they could and we were grateful, but they too were
hampered by local and County-wide apathy. My greatest disappointment was that People of God areawide did not rally around us and offer support and encouragement by writing letters to the editor on
our behalf, speaking up, or at least calling to learn more about ‘what was going on’ – to ask if they could
assist in any way. There was a letter from a lady in Beaver Falls28 who sympathized with us as she was
12
lambasting her city for hiring Portnoff. Quite honestly, there may have been others. I don’t see
everything. If so, please let us know.
The fact that we had such little support and no money to fight back were two big factors that
bolstered the School District and City Council’s resolve to hire Portnoff for 3 more years, and then year
after year until Mayor Walker came on the scene. For us the legal system was “threatening, inaccessible
and exorbitant.”29
KUDOS TO MAYOR DWAN WALKER
In spite of our best efforts and in spite of the numerous articles in the Beaver County Times, our
voices were not heard by the City Council and Aliquippa School District, who kept hiring Portnoff Law
Associates, until our current mayor, Dwan Walker (2012), and his Council stopped Portnoff from
collecting City taxes. PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!
To this day, however, the Aliquippa School Board continues to hire Portnoff.
THE ALIQUIPPA CITY’S AUCTION OF ITS CITIZENS’ HOUSES
The City had been selling off some of the better houses they had acquired through a real estate
agent, but on November 21, 2004, an article appeared in the Beaver County Times, ‘City, school district
look to unload Aliquippa properties.’ The article further stated, “The number of properties owned
jointly by the Aliquippa School District and the City has more than tripled in the last three years, but
local officials aren’t proud of their growing real estate empire.” The Times added, “The city and school
district have been accumulating properties since they hired Portnoff Law Associates of Wynnewood, Pa.,
as delinquent tax collector in 1998. Then, ‘City Administrator Tom Stoner said he doesn’t care how
much, or how little the properties sell for. We just want to get them off our hands and onto the tax
rolls,’ Stoner said.”30
Incensed, shocked and horrified that the City of Aliquippa would have the gall to establish such a
cruel Portnoff Procedure in the first place, causing people to lose their homes -- then a few years later,
turn around and auction them off for whatever paltry amount they could get, Aliquippa Concerned
Citizens called for a protest demonstration at the City Building for the day of the Auction.
Walking down Franklin Avenue to the City Building on the day of the auction, I bumped into a person
I knew from out of town. Believing him to be a compassionate listener, I told him all about what had led
up to today’s actions: the hiring of Portnoff, the exorbitant penalties/legal fees etc. and now the City’s
auction to sale off the houses they had acquired. This person, whom I believed would be sympathetic to
the victims, listened to me intensely, looked the situation over briefly, then darted into the City building
and emerged a short time later -- big grin -- with papers showing he had bought a house for $25. I was
so hurt! But I got over it soon, realizing that getting a house as cheaply as the numerous houses sold
through the Portnoff Machine was too good a deal for many to pass up.
By the way, the house purchased for $25 (probably 10% of the total) was never replaced on the tax
rolls. It’s just falling down and decaying like so many of the other houses that were abandoned or sold
through the Portnoff Procedure. Sadly, a new administration has inherited the “mess” created by
Aliquippa City Council, School Board of 1998; and today, 2015, a visitor to the PLAN 11 Neighborhood of
Aliquippa can easily identify some of the City/School District-Owned houses. Empty and abandoned,
they are no longer bringing in tax revenue. In 1998, two years was not fast enough. Today they bring
nothing!
13
May I add here that not all of the empty, abandoned houses are owned by the City and School District.
Some houses were vacant and deteriorating because a few younger people did not value or care for the
homes their parents and grandparents worked so hard to obtain. ‘Greasing the skids,’ however, other
neighborhood wreckers whirled through the town around the same time as Portnoff: the predatory
lenders, whose borrowers finally had to move and house buying speculators, whose houses are priced
so high they may never sale. These, too, have put up “FOR SALE” signs, left the weeds growing high and
left houses vacant and falling apart. So today -- once good, sturdy houses are empty, slowly decaying,
attracting rodents and making the Neighborhood far, far worse than it was 17 years ago. And the
neighborhood people get all the blame!
Who lost homes, we may never know. With “silent tears” the poor people and others who couldn’t
“beg, borrow or steal” the finances to pay their bloated tax debts crept off somewhere and do what the
Poor and Needy always do – remain invisible!
FINALLY, A BREAKTHROUGH
Looking and hoping for a break we spoke to another lawyer who said that with Pennsylvania laws
the way they were there was nothing we could do. After several more years of inactivity, we were
introduced to Attorney Herbert Terrell, who took our case and added some new names to the core
group, bringing our plaintiff numbers to 13 representatives. Hope is alive once more! After more time
passed, we finally had a good solid case against Portnoff.
Charging through Attorney Terrell that Portnoff Law Associates had violated both Federal and State
Laws, these were our main arguments:





Portnoff legal fees were unreasonable
They used unfair and deceptive debt collection practices
They received unjust enrichment
They continuously made statements that were false, constituting fraud
They imposed and exacted administrative fees in excess of the amounts allowable
Portnoff Law Associates have law suits all across the State of Pennsylvania, but around the same time
that we were getting our case together Good News was coming out of Philadelphia: In March, 2008, the
law firm of Donovan Searles, LLC, announced it had obtained a $5,213,670 class action verdict in the
case of Roethlien v. Portnoff Law Associates.31 Earlier on, our group had declined to join in their “class,
electing after so many years, to have our own class. Philadelphia had been waiting for a decision from
the PA State Supreme Court regarding several of their charges. After months, months and more months
of waiting, the decree came forth: the PA Supreme Court had sided with Portnoff. Several Counts were
off the table for Philadelphia which threw off one of our similar Counts. Disappointed, sure, but not the
end of the world. We still had several solid counts left, so we thought. By the way, we do not know if
the Philadelphia case has been settled or not.
More months passed with a few more back and forth procedures. In April, 2015, Portnoff appealed
to Judge Kwidis for a dismissal of three of our remaining Counts. Judge Kwidis sided with Portnoff and
we are left with only 2 Counts. Several significant Court statements regarding the Federal Debt
Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Pennsylvania Fair Credit Extension Uniformity Act (FCEUA),
Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law (UTPCPL) tell why our complaints
were dismissed:32
14

“Under federal law, taxpayers are not likened to consumers nor are property taxes
considered debt.”

“In short, property taxes and uniformly assessed municipal claims do not constitute debts
resulting from the purchase, lease or loan of goods or services for personal, family, or
household purposes as required under FCEUA

“… this Court finds that taxpayers are not consumers and that the imposition of real estate
taxes and mandatory municipal fees are not considered the purchase or lease of goods and
services for personal, family or household purposes.
(My interpretation)
‘Even though Portnoff said he was a debt collector, you have no case because the real estate debts
you owe and your municipal claims debts for garbage removal are not really debts as described in PA
State laws.’ In other words, ‘there is nothing in Pennsylvania Law to cover the debts you have; your
debts are not in our books’ which further interpreted means that under Pennsylvania Law in regard to
delinquent property tax debts ‘the Poor” nor anyone else who have loss finances and property have a
place to turn for justice.’
The Judge also denied us the ability to move forward as a Class.33
SO WHAT DO WE DO?
AFTER YOU’VE DONE ALL YOU CAN, YOU JUST STAND!
So here we are today and what will we decide? During the past seventeen years, three plaintiffs
have died, three dropped out, one is very ill, I am pretty old – (no, some would say very old) all of us are
very tired physically and mentally; we have given our depositions, but in the SPIRIT of the LORD, having
come this far, “let us run on and see what the end will be!”
“We don’t feel no ways tired,
We’ve come too far from where we started from,
Nobody told us that the road would be easy,
We don’t believe God brought us this far -- to leave us!”
---- Curtis Burrell
We have several counts left, but we can see the handwriting on the wall. With things rapidly eroding
and with no money to move forward with appeals, things are looking pretty bleak. Still, we want to go
as far as we have to go to get the justice that Aliquippa property owners deserve. Through the years
Pennsylvania legislators have been changing and altering laws to protect the interests of corporations
and other well-to-do individuals; and I do hope that law-minded people reading this report will research
and record the changes that have been made the last 25- 30 years regarding property taxes to show
how we got to where we are today and how fiercely wealth has been protected. It’s not over yet.
Quoting excerpts from a Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial of March 26, 2000 titled State of Conflicts:34
“In too many cases, public’s business seems to take back seat to lawmakers’ interests.
Are the well-paid lawmakers of Pennsylvania into public service – or just self-service?
Too many of them promote bills and cast votes that serve their financial interests, while lax
rules often hide their potential conflicts of interests.
15
Harrisburg is a controlled hunt by special interests. Farmers take care of farmers; developers
take care of developers; lawyers do lawyers, etc.
One out of every five legislators serves on a committee that oversees a profession or a field of
business in which that lawmaker or a close relative works. And one out of every four legislators
has sponsored or co-sponsored at least one bill that could financially benefit his family.”
That was one sentiment concerning PA state legislators 15 years ago.
Some wondered, but from a legal standpoint we were told, Portnoff was not about oppressing poor
people or people of color. I believe the color part! The only color Portnoff Law Associates and those
helping them really seemed to care about was ‘green, lots and lots of green;’ but it did so happen that
the people harmed most were poor people of color in Aliquippa, Beaver Falls, Midland. That’s where
agencies like Portnoff Law Associates could and did get their money. From poor, desperate people who
could not fight back.
A REVIEW OF THE PORTNOFF TAX COLLECTION PROCESS
The following is a review of some of the statements I made in letters sent out regarding the
devastations that have occurred among some of Aliquippa’s neediest and most vulnerable residents as a
result of hiring lawyers to collect delinquent taxes.
THE MORAL ISSUES

High-powered Law Firms should not be turned loose on neighborhood people.

First of all, to take on the responsibility of collecting delinquent taxes, the law firm must be
well-paid and how do they get their pay? Through penalties, interest, legal fees. Portnoff
took their fees first before the City and School district received their taxes. However, people
of means were not paying the law firm; they simply write a check to pay their regular tax
indebtedness, plus $30 that had already been given to Portnoff before names were listed and
they were finished. That was wrong also.

But the people who were “caught in the snare” and were paying excessive legal fees were
struggling in the first place and could not pay their taxes in the short time that the city and
school board gave them. Remember, these are people who have been paying taxes for 10,
20, 30, 40 years or more. But because given no previous notice, (one school board member
said they should have read the paper) they were caught off guard and could not pay in 30
days -- or as the tax debts increased, they were unable to pay – sometimes hundreds of
dollars --- within the ten days of the letters they received, their tax indebtedness shot up to
the next level, then grew and grew. There is something very wrong when a resident’s tax
debt doubles, triples, quadruples, quintuples, and sextuples in a four to six month period.

Some examples, because one family mailed in their school taxes of $1518.26 two weeks after
the date given, they had to pay $698.26 in legal fees. Another’s taxes rose from $132.55 to
$792.88 within 5 months. The family of a resident, who was hospitalized and had since died,
was not permitted at first to pick up her certified letter and the legal fees kept rolling on until
the house was finally sold at a sheriff’s sale. The horror stories are endless!

Boasting that they pulled in so much tax revenue and saved 5%, both the City and School
Board voted to hire Portnoff Law Associates for three more years. But did anyone care about
16
what happens to people whose backs they rode on to save the 5%. The people have been
labeled ‘scofflaws’ but code words like scofflaws and other inflammatory expressions such as
“these people refuse to pay,” or “they ignore their notices” only served to stir up passions
and create more disdain for people who are already up against hard times and are struggling
to hold on to their homes. I imagine there were great laughs among Portnoff and School and
City officials as Aliquippa residents scrambled to hold on to their homes.

It did not matter whether property owners received proper notification; the fact that certified
letters were sent satisfied PA State Law. One person’s letter went to a town called Exton
before finally reaching its destination. The hard-working owner still had to pay legal fees.

The statement that residents had up to a year to pay was misleading. Residents were sent
different letters and given confusing time frames for payment: true, some were given a year,
others 3 months or 6 months. Some were told to apply for hardship; others knew nothing
about hardship. Hardship was a compassionate-sounding add-on.

Residents who wished to make a payment plan were told to call an 800 number with a
proposed plan. That sounded compassionate also; however, when they called some learned
they could not make agreements they could manage, according to their income or financial
circumstances. It was mandated that they must pay a certain amount within a certain
number of days and when they couldn’t, $135 plus interests and penalties were added on. At
this point they were trapped and the rapid-fired computer system bounced on, step by step –
adding on more fees – straight to the sheriff’s office.

When the property owners got letters with a sum to pay, they had no idea what they were
paying for; School and City taxes were combined with no breakdown of how much was for
taxes, legal fees, interest, penalties or other.

The tax firm had the exclusive right to decide who had or did not have a hardship. Perhaps
the city may have assisted in some very small way, but the City had turned some powerful
decisions to entities that people did not elect to office.

Having to file a hardship application that called for so many personal and intrusive details of
one’s life is a humiliating experience, particularly when all this personal info was given to
strange, unelected lawyers who could use this information in ways that one cannot even
imagine.

The ability to hire private law firms had thrown the door wide open for greedy opportunists
to rush into the Pennsylvania’s most distressed communities and take advantage of people
who were unsophisticated in handling personal problems and social issues – people who
were confused, afraid, ashamed, or did not know how to speak up and could not afford to
fight back. Portnoff Law Associates moved into a lot of other distressed communities across
the State.
Aliquippa property owners were more than willing to pay their fair share of taxes and realized the
need to do so in a timely fashion. However, to quote a Chinese proverb, “You don’t have to use a
hatchet to remove a fly from your neighbors head.” As Council Woman Jessie Belle Walker said, “the
City Council did not look for other ways.”
17
So the Portnoff computers did the people of Aliquippa in! Yes, technology is good when it is used for
the betterment of mankind. It should not have been used to harass, humiliate, unsettle and destroy
Aliquippa’s neediest residents. What happened in Aliquippa was so easy -- “like taking candy from a
baby!”
TWO MESSAGES FROM THE MASTER
“There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be
known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light;
and that which ye have spoken in closets (inner rooms) shall be proclaimed upon
the housetops.” Luke 12:2, 3
“Be sure your sin will find you out!” Numbers 32:23
GOD’S CONCERN FOR THE POOR AND NEEDY
Some of the clearest messages of the Bible tells of God’s extraordinary concern for poor, needy
and oppressed people of the world. Portnoff Law Associates, yes, with the call and approval of the City
of Aliquippa and its School Board, has severely punished poor people, as well as others, for being
delinquent in paying their real estate taxes. They may not realize it, but Portnoff Law Associates, the
City of Aliquippa and all others involved in the mistreatment and harsh dealings of the people of
Aliquippa and all others across the State of Pennsylvania, have trampled underfoot the WORD OF GOD!
It’s not for us to know now, but the LORD GOD will certainly address this issue in HIS own time and HIS
own way.
Most people do not realize how much influence poor people have over our lives. How we feel about
and how we treat poor people will be the ultimate test to determine where we spend eternity. HOW?
Because our attitude toward and our treatment of the poor and needy will reveal whether our love for
GOD and our faith in GOD is real or counterfeit. Selah: pause and calmly think of that! Amplified Bible
Follow this: We Christians love to sing “O, how I love Jesus.” But what does Jesus say?
If you love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15
This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. John 15:12 NAS
And this is his commandment; that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and
love one another, as he gave us commandment. 1 John 3:23
If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him,
how can the love of God be in him? 1 John 3:17 NIV
Finally, Matthew 25th chapter, NIV
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on the
throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate
the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will
put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Matthew 25: 31- 33
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come you who are blessed by my Father; take your
Inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world….. Matthew 25:34
Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who were cursed, into the eternal
18
fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I
was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in,
I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after
Me. Matthew 25: 41- 43
When, the goats will ask?
The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did/or did not do for one of the least of
these brothers of mine you did/or did not do it for me.’ Matthews 25:40, 45. Italics, mine
Then they (the goats) will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.
Matthew 25:46. Italics, mine
So whenever you (the reader) see a poor or needy person, think this: How I feel about and how I
treat this poor or needy person will determine my eternal destiny because my treatment of the poor
and needy is a reflection of my love for Jesus, my Lord! Selah! Pause and calmly think about that.
AND SO
“Woe to unjust judges and to those that issue unfair laws, says the Lord, so that there
is no justice for the poor, the widows and orphans. Yes, it is true that they even rob the
widows and fatherless children.” Isaiah 10:1 TLB
Although Portnoff, legislators and politicians from here to Harrisburg may argue that they did
everything legally (which they did not) may all reading this report understand that no man on this earth
can make a law or ruling that our Lord God, Sovereign of the Universe, is bound to respect!
GOD OWNS EVERYTHING
Some people spend their entire lives going after money and the things money can buy. May they
realize that “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein. For he
hath founded it upon the seas and established it upon the floods. Psalm 24:1, 2
Furthermore, as you drive through the rolling green country sides and see Farmer Jim’s fine horses
and cattle leisurely grazing, remember God’s words:
“Every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know
all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were
hungry, I would not tell you: for the world is mine, and the fullness thereof.
Psalm 50:10, 11
All wealth comes from the Lord! “A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven.”
John 3:27
IN THE WORDS OF KING DAVID FROM 1 CHRONICLES 29:10
“Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the
majesty: For all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine, thine is the kingdom,
O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come of thee,
and thou reignest over all; and in thy hand is power and might; and in thy hand it is to
make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and
praise thy glorious name.” Blessed be the Name of the Lord!
19
HAVING SAID WHAT I’VE SAID, I STILL REMEMBER THAT RICH LIVES MATTER TOO!
Focusing on the power of love and forgiveness, I would be remiss if I did not use some space in this
report to let Portnoff Law Associates and all people of wealth know what God has to say about/to rich
people or those who want to be. Perhaps they have never heard GOD’S WORDS before and the ‘rich’
have a right to know what the Bible says about them. This message, coming out of Aliquippa, is a
message to rich, wealthy, powerful people everywhere. First some warnings and charges:
“Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you. Your
riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted,
and their rust will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up
treasure for the last days. Behold, the wage of the laborers who mowed your fields, which
you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the
Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and pleasure; and now your fat hearts
are ready for the slaughter. You have condemned and killed good men who had no
power to defend themselves against you. James 5:1- 6. RSV & TLB
“Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to save them in the day of the Lord’s wrath.
Zephaniah.” 1:18
“Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper chambers by injustice;
who makes his neighbor serve him for nothing, and does not give him his wages.
Jeremiah 22:13
So to the School Board, City Council, Portnoff Law Associates and anyone else who may be offended
by this report: Looking at the signs of the times -- this Strange New Day of World-Wide Wickedness –
looking at the “wars and rumors of wars, and the famines and pestilences and earthquakes in different
places,” (Mt. 24:6, 7) please understand that earth-time is running out! America must repent, and the
road to “national repentance” can start in Aliquippa. That is my prayer!
This may seem strange for me to say, but I must say, “Go not to your laws and political supporters
first, rather go to the Lord and to the Bible and to your pastors who will assure you that ‘God is full of
compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth’ (Ps. 86:15)
Furthermore it is said in 1 Timothy 6:7
“Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain
riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. That they do good, that
they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store
for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may hold on to eternal
life.”
“Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: But the rich in that he is made
low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner
risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth,
and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade in his ways.
James 1:9- 11
“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my
eyes! Cease to do evil, Learn to do right! Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, and correct
20
the oppressor. Defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, let us reason together,
says the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are
red like crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1: 16- 18 Amplified
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
“God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoso believe in Him should
not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
“If thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God
has raised him from the dead, thou shall be saved.” Romans 10:9. “For whosoever shall call
upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13
SPECIAL MESSAGES TO ALL WHO HAVE SHARED IN THE TAX COLLECTION BEAT-DOWN
(OR ANY OTHER WRONG-DOING)
Understand that GOD, who sets the standards for human behavior watches over the affairs of man,
including the entire Aliquippa tax issue and HE is not pleased with what has transpired. We humans are
accountable to HIS higher authority.
“If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and
justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest
regardeth; and there be higher than they.” Ecclesiastes 5:8
If you have done wrong, as hard as it may be, don’t worry so much about what other people think. It’s
too late for that! Instead worry about what GOD thinks for HE alone is the one who will judge us and
HE is the one “who can destroy both body and soul in hell.” BUT UNDERSTAND THIS:
“The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all will come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9
HOW TO REPENT

Confess to the Lord that you have done wrong. Be very specific. Don’t just say, “I know I’m a
sinner.”

Ask GOD to forgive your wrong-doing. Christ Jesus already died and rose again, paying the price
for our forgiveness.

Ask GOD to give you GRACE to do whatever you can do to make amends for your wrong-doing.
HOW WILL THIS ALL END?
To paraphrase Psalm 3:2 – “Many there be which say of the poor, there is no help for them in God.
Selah.” (Pause and calmly think of that. Amplified Bible). But Our Lord God works in mysterious ways; we
cannot say how or when HE will respond to the Aliquippa issue, but we do believe this: “The needy shall
not always be forgotten; the expectation of the poor shall not perish forever.” Psalm 9:1
ONLY OUR LORD GOD KNOWS HOW THINGS WILL END
21
Prayers from many people are being sent out constantly for Aliquippa and I believe that somehow
---something really good will come out of the seventeen (17) years of tax collection turmoil and
devastation. I believe that what has happened the last 17 years is bigger than me, bigger than Portnoff
Law Associates, the City, the Legislators, even the State. Even while exposing the injustices to the poor,
I see the unfolding events of the Aliquippa Delinquent Tax issue as GOD’s marvelous plan of reaching out
to the “rich” everywhere and calling them to repentance – letting them know that there are some things
in life that are far more important than seeking after riches and the things money can buy – their souls,
which GOD is trying to save! GOD works in mysterious ways!
“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of GOD!
How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been His Counselor?
Or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed to Him again?
For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to him be glory forever.
Amen. Romans 11:33- 36
This story of the undercover tax issue in Aliquippa, only one of many, can be the story of varied
uncover issues in Anywhere, USA. The penal system, that has more jailed people than anywhere else in
the world; the education system, that no longer educates its children; the welfare system that has
pushed fathers out of their children’s lives; the healthcare system that leaves may dead or further
sickened from dangerous prescription drugs -- all have their undercover stories fueled by greed, politics,
corruption, and power, leaving behind poverty, wasted lives, and devastation. These were the issues
spoken of by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and more recently by the Beloved Pope Francis – complex issues
that the United States must address. So to Aliquippa:
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE TORN DOWN BUT WHO WILL HELP TO RESURRECT ALIQUIPPA?
There is a much work to be done in Aliquippa; and City officials, residents, agencies and all concerned
individuals must find creative ways to build up Aliquippa’s people,* to get empty houses occupied and
back on the tax rolls, to get property taxes paid on a timely basis, and to attract industries that will place
the City on a firm economic base. Such actions will undoubtedly eliminate many of Aliquippa’s current
economic and social problems; and with so many varied and complex challenges, there is enough work
for everyone!
May those who have ears to hear – hear and understand ALL that the LORD is saying. This Aliquippa
Story is about “exposure, acknowledgement, forgiveness/redemption and reconciliation.” My prayer is
that Aliquippa will repent, rise up out of the ruins and become a Shining City on a Hill sending forth the
beacon of GOD’s love and faith and blessings throughout all of Beaver County, the State of
Pennsylvania, the United States and the World! Through the Grace of God, may this report be
received in the spirit in which it was written and be a catalyst toward that process.
I have spoken at length of moral issues but as we plaintiffs look to the future, we must still deal
with the legal/court issues; so as things evolve, we need to know that the Aliquippa people, and others
who care, are with us and are willing to help out by speaking up, helping with finances or doing
whatever they can do to repair the damage done by a corrupt tax collection system.
Blessed are all those who took time to read this report to the end, through the lengthy Scriptures.
May you be numbered among those special people that help to bring repentance and change to the
wonderful city of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania.
22
ONE MORE THING
TO EVERYONE READING THIS REPORT, PLEASE PAY YOUR PROPERTY TAXES ON TIME, AND TELL YOUR
FAMILY, NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS TO DO LIKEWISE. THIS IS ONE WAY WE CAN ALL HELP OUT. START
NOW! DON’T WAIT TILL NEXT APRIL. OUR CITY WILL BE HELPED AND OUR GOD WILL BE PLEASED!
NOTES
a
b
1 Bob Bauder, The Portnoff Process, BCT, September 5, 1999; 1 City of Aliquippa History Page
2 Population: censusviewer.com/city/PA/Aliquippa
3 Median household Income: city-data.com
4 House value: city-data.com
5 Aliquippa reading and test scores; wikipedia.org
6 Joe Miksch, Aliquippa officials tackle gripes about tax agency, Beaver County Times, Nov. 5, 1998, A1
7 Aliquippa School District’s June & July letters and legal fees chart. See attachments*
8 Ibid.
9 Portnoff Law Associates Hardship Application
10 See #6 above
11a Properties on delinquency list of 1,483 parcels; 11b Bob Bauder, The Portnoff Process, BCT,
September 5, 1999
12 Aliquippa School Board meeting, April 16, 1998
13 Beaver County Deeds, BCT, November 11, 2001, pg. C11
14 Joe Miksch, Aliquippa school OK tardy tax collector, Beaver County Times (BCT), April 8, 1999, A1
15 All kinds of reasons such as: No money to pay, did not receive certified letter, letter sent to wrong
address, one owner saying he worked 7 days a week and letters slipped past, not enough time to think
things through. More important: Why were property owners given no time to prepare.
16 Portnoff letter, October 13, 1998
17 Ibid.
18a Portnoff letter regarding family property of author, Mason; 18b Tom Fontaine, City, school district
look to unload Aliquippa properties, BCT, Nov. 21, 2004, pg. A11
19 Joe Miksch, Aliquippans decry tax collector’s policies, BCT, October 22, 1998, pg. A1
20 Alan B Portnoff, in Letters to the Editor, BCT, March 7, 2005, pg. A6
21 Bob Bauder, The Portnoff Process, BCT, September 5, 1999
22 Person is known locally
23 Joe Miksch, Aliquippans decry tax collector’s policies, BCT, October 22, 1998, pg. A1
24 Bob Bauder, The Portnoff Process, BCT, September 5, 1999, pg. A1
25 Ibid.
26 Ibid.
27 Ibid.
28 Letter to the Editor, BCT, March 1, 2005
29 Jerold S. Auerbach, Justice Without Law, Oxford University Press, 1983
30 Tom Fontaine, City, school district look to unload Aliquippa properties, BCT, Nov. 21, 2004, pg. A11
31 Roethlien v Portnoff Law Associates class action verdict
32 Court of Common Pleas of Beaver County, PA; Mason vs Portnoff Law Associates, May 21, 2015
33 Court of Common Pleas of Beaver County, PA; Mason vs Portnoff Law Associates, January 15, 2015
34 Inquirer Editorial, Philly.com l Public work, private gain, Sunday, March 26, 2000 pg. 1
23
24
25
26
27