Our clients are busy and they sometimes forget to keep their information updated with the Secretary of State’s Office or file their annual reports; they pay for a registered agent who does nothing more than forward their mail; and they sometimes fall victim to scams like this and this. 

We’re offering a yearly plan that includes serving as our client’s registered agent and filing their annual report, among other things.  A description of the plan is attached to this email.  This plan helps to ensure your privacy (if your business is ever sued, the lawsuit will be delivered to our office’s address); you will be less likely to fall victim to a scam (we will sort through and destroy junk mail); you will be more organized and have less paper (we will scan and forward your mail immediately to your attention after sorting); and we will ensure that corporate records and Secretary of State records are kept up to date.
 
We’re also offering an upgraded yearly plan that includes unlimited access to attorneys throughout the year.  No more billing for .1 emails or .2 telephone calls.  We want to encourage people to contact us anytime they need us instead of being afraid to get a bill from us. 
 
This is a continued effort from us to offer flat fees instead of hourly billing.  Annual reports are due April 15, and they can be filed now, so this is a great time to switch over to having Jesson & Rains handle it.  Please contact us if you’re interested, and please forward to any busy business owners you think may need our help!

By Associate Attorney Danielle Nodar
​
If you have ever formed a business through the Secretary of State’s office, you know that you get a lot of junk mail shortly thereafter. Recently, there have been some new schemes targeting North Carolina business owners through the mail. These mailings look like official government documents, and they quote statutes, cite scary penalties, and prompt the business to pay a fee for a certain “required” form.
 
One misleading mailing comes from the Filing Labor Compliance Department Services (FLCD), a Florida company that sends a “2019 Certificate of Status Request” form. This form implies that all business entities are required to obtain a Certificate of Status and return the form with a $78.00 fee.  Another misleading mailing comes from NC Certificate Service, offering a 2019 Certificate of Existence for $74.50. 
 
However, there is no state requirement that each registered business entity obtain an annual Certificate of Existence. A Certificate of Existence is only required if a business does business in another state. The certificate is issued by the North Carolina Secretary of State for a whopping fee of $10.00 online!
 
Finally, another mailing scheme comes from the Labor Compliance Department, also based out of Florida, and asserts that businesses are required to purchase state and/or federal labor law posters to display at the business address. The scam offers to provide a labor law compliance package for an $83.00 fee. This scam cites scary penalties for failing to display these posters in a visible location at the business. While the posters really may be required depending on the type of business, these posters can be obtained for free online from the North Carolina Department of Labor.
 
Do not blindly mail in a check when you receive mail like this.  Read it carefully.  Contact your attorney or the Secretary of State’s office before paying anything.