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Boston sues celebrichef Barbara Lynch for $1.7 million in taxes it says date back 13 years

By adamg on Thu, 11/14/2024 - 12:04am

The city of Boston yesterday sued serial restaurant owner Barbara Lynch and her various corporate entities for unpaid taxes on equipment and furnishings in her Boston restaurants and bars that date to 2011.

In its lawsuit, filed in Suffolk Superior Court, the city says it decided to sue now because Lynch has publicly announced plans to end all of her operations by the end of the year:

Upon information and belief, Ms. Lynch, directly or through her multiple corporate entities, does not intend to pay the personal property taxes due to the City of Boston and no assurances have been given that she will pay those taxes.

In a related filing, the city asked for a judge to freeze any sale of her restaurants' assets while the case is pending.

The city alleges that Lynch herself has few assets and that it wants to make sure it gets paid the back taxes before Lynch makes any money from selling off the restaurant/bar assets, the most valuable of which might be each establishment's liquor license, which could go for more than $600,000 apiece on the open market.

According to the lawsuit, the city collector sent Lynch "final notice" bills for unpaid taxes in January, which it says Lynch and her corporate entities stopped paying years ago, save for a single payment for each establishment in 2021:

  • $536,737.29 for No. 9 Park, from 2011 to 2024;
  • $455,286.94 for Mention, from 2015 to 2024;
  • $136,833.13 for B&G Oysters, from 2011 to 2024;
  • $129,870.46 for the Butcher Shop, from 2013 to 2024.
  • $117,674.43 for Drink, from 2015 to 2024;
  • $110,137.65 for Sportello, from 2012 to 2024.

The city is seeking full payment of the taxes it says Lynch owes, plus interest and attorneys' fees.

Complete complaint(4.9M PDF).
City reasoning for a temporary restraining order(497k PDF).

Neighborhoods: 
Boston
Topics: 
Business
Dining
Free tagging: 
Barbara Lynch
Lawsuits


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Comments

By Sator on Thu, 11/14/2024 - 4:12am.

Boston wanted the lifestyle. Lifestyle is expensive.

By John on Thu, 11/14/2024 - 4:28pm.

This isn't Boston's fault. That's ridiculous. I am guessing you live in New Hampshire?

By Irma la Douce on Thu, 11/14/2024 - 8:03am.

Are there other restaurant empires with similar tax delinquencies? Why isn’t the city more assertive in demanding annual payment?

(Note to Mayor Wu haters: this situation dates back to the Menino era and through the Walsh era.)

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By hydeparkish on Thu, 11/14/2024 - 9:14am.

I wonder if Radius paid all the taxes they owed. He very often shorted vendors when building out his restaurants the last payment so I bet he is shorting the city!

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By adamg on Thu, 11/14/2024 - 12:24pm.

Todd English left town trailed by a series of unpaid bills.

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By MC Slim JB on Thu, 11/14/2024 - 9:14pm.

English was an early mentor to Barbara Lynch. Looks like she learned more than cooking skills from him.

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By J.R. Dobbs on Fri, 11/15/2024 - 11:36am.

And didnt pay his state taxes just layed low for awhile then opened a place under his girlfriend's name in the North End a few years later.

Restaurant's survive off "creative accounting".

By anon on Thu, 11/14/2024 - 8:12am.

Why is she not facing criminal charges for non-payment of taxes?

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By Lee on Thu, 11/14/2024 - 8:31am.

… Saga ever end!?

She stole tips. Probably voted no on Question 5.

I’m done with this series.

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By CopleyScott17 on Thu, 11/14/2024 - 10:19am.

If they can throw Leona Helmsley and Martha Stewart in the hoosegow for financial chicanery, I wonder why Chef Lynch has (thus far) escaped criminal charges.

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By cybah on Thu, 11/14/2024 - 10:52am.

Martha and Leona were used as examples of the law. Meaning, they probably could have squirmed their way out of being incarcerated. But because they both were powerful women, they got the book thrown at them.

Men have been doing far worse, yet serve virtually no jail time.

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By Pedant on Thu, 11/14/2024 - 11:45am.

I meeeean Martha Stewart was caught up in a securities violation, which the feds are all too happy to nail on anyone they can find (the CEO of the company in question, a powerful man, did 7 years to Martha's 5 months). Yes, pay your taxes, and expect fines or prison time if you don't, but if you try to beat the market and fuck with the SEC you are going to lose big.

In any case, Barbara is only hearing from the city right now. Maybe she stiffed the Feds too! Could absolutely get worse for her.

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By John on Thu, 11/14/2024 - 4:27pm.

Because her crimes are different.

By Friartuck on Thu, 11/14/2024 - 1:08pm.

Has dined in at least one of her restaurants, she'll likely file for a change of venue to Hamden County.

By anon on Fri, 11/15/2024 - 7:37am.

So, explain to me how this has gone on for 13 years? Who in city hall is going to be held accountable?

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By anon on Fri, 11/15/2024 - 8:19am.

How do cities normally collect on unpaid personal property taxes? For real estate tax, they just file a lien and collect when it sells, or the city can take possession and sell the place at auction. But that doesn’t work so well for deep fryers and refrigerators.