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Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen Announces Action Against Seller of Deceptive "Corporate Minutes" Services
MADISON — Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced today that his office has filed an enforcement action against The Mandatory Poster Agency, Inc., doing business as Corporate Records Service, and Mr. Steven J. Fata, both of Lansing, MI, regarding solicitations they sent by mail to Wisconsin businesses offering to prepare corporate meeting minutes and deceptively stating that the service would help companies comply with state law.
According to the complaint, which was filed in Dane County Circuit Court on February 8, 2013, the defendants have sent numerous Wisconsin corporations a form called “2013-Annual Minutes Form,” which has the look and feel of a government document. The document states that by filling out the form and sending $125 to Corporate Records Service, the corporation would satisfy its obligations under certain Wisconsin statutes. However, Wisconsin law does not require a corporation to prepare minutes of its meetings, and even if it did, the “2013-Annual Minutes Form” does not request the information that would be necessary to prepare meeting minutes.
The Complaint alleges that statements in the “2013-Annual Minutes Form,” and on the envelope in which it is enclosed, constitute untrue, deceptive or misleading statements made with intent to sell a service, in violation of Wis. Stat. § 100.18. The complaint seeks injunctive relief, civil forfeitures and restitution to any and all victims of the fraud.
The Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) are assisting the Department of Justice (DOJ) with this matter. Anyone who wishes to file a consumer complaint in regards to this matter should contact DATCP at the Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-422-7128, or file a complaint online at the following link.
File a consumer complaint online
The case has been assigned to Dane County Circuit Court Judge Richard Niess. The State of Wisconsin is represented in this matter by Assistant Attorney General Lewis W. Beilin.
A copy of the Summons and Complaint are available at the links below. The complaint contains only the State’s allegations. The State bears the burden of proving the allegations.
