Socialite has county’s largest delinquent tax bill
Tags: Bill of Rights, bob matthews, Ferrari, florida, Jane Krakowski, Linda Eder, Mar-a-Lago, Mia Matthews, Palm Beach, taxes
| Monday 18 May 2009 11:08 am
(Bill Ingram/The Palm Beach Post)
Palm Beach builder Bob Matthews and his socialite wife, Mia, were the benevolent sponsors of this weekend’s performances of The Wizard of Oz at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach.
They also have the county’s single largest unpaid residential property-tax bill for 2008, on the home above.
They owe the IRS $501,172 for unpaid taxes in 2006 and 2008.
And while their renovation of the old Heart of Palm hotel is moving at a snail’s pace because Bob hasn’t been able to secure extra financing, their building of a fancy resort in Nantucket, Mass., has provoked the ire of contractors and suppliers who say they haven’t been paid.
Things are piling up for a young couple that’s been one of the most visible on the charity circuit over the past three years. Bob is known as a flamboyant character who once drove a red $300,000 Ferrari and publicly offered Mia a solitaire after she starred in a charity fashion show at Mar-a-Lago.
Now, with the economy in the septic tank and his projects having a tough go of it, the Matthews owe a whopping $272,391 in taxes on their mansion, according to county records. Their Casa Bendita (Blessed House) is 16,000 square feet of sheer luxury assessed at $15.8 million.
For more details on these Palm Beachers’ finances, and the poll, look below
Bob and Mia Matthews
It’s just an oversight, Bob Matthews said. He didn’t know until someone from The Palm Beach Post asked him about it.
“ I thought they were escrowed with my mortgage payments,” he said. “When I found out they were not, I scheduled them to be paid before the end of the month.”
He does, however, have more bills to pay.
The feds are looking for 2006 and 2008 income taxes, according to court records.
Shouldn’t be too much of a problem, Matthews says.
“When my 2008 tax return is filed, there will be a significant loss, which will be carried back and more than offset any current taxes due,” he said.
And that’s a story in itself. A few years back, Matthews and a friend bought an original copy of the Bill of Rights for $200,000. They then tried to flip it for $5 million, but federal authorities set up a phony purchase and returned the document to the state of North Carolina — from where it was stolen during the Civil War. Neither Matthews nor his bud were accused of wrongdoing.
The big loss that Matthews talks about? That’s the fact he couldn’t make money on the document. It’s unclear yet how much of a deduction he’ll claim.
And just last week, according to Nantucket’s The Inquirer and Mirror, three contractors working on Matthews’ new resort, Point Breeze Club, filed a lawsuit seeking $1.5 million they say he owes them. The paper says the lawsuit accuses Matthews of using a $40 million credit line earmarked for the project on other construction and himself.
That part of the lawsuit is unfair, he says.
“Interested in the summer lineup of activities I am currently booking (for Point Breeze)?” he asked. “Trapeze program, Broadway boot camp, performers such as Jane Krakowski from 30 Rock and Linda Eder?”
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Give this guy a chance to explain before we jump to the easy conclusions.
Mia is hot.
Typical living outside their means with a BIG ego…
Lawrence, money talks and bs explanations walk, if you give this guy a chance to explain his way out instead of pay his way out, the irs will think they owe him money when he is done! Tell him that if he does not pay soon, his daughter has to be tutored by the recently fired Mr. Miller from Watkins Middle.
Oh my, I can’t believe he made the statement he thought his property taxes were included in his mortgage. What an idiot. Wouldn’t this millionaire know just by asking his accountant if he wasn’t sure how his property taxes were being paid, or how about looking at the bank statement or mortgage statement. I’m sure the Town of Palm Beach would be sending out late notices too. I’ts all written out pretty clearly what your monthly payment includes. Principal, interest, property taxes, insurance……I would have been embarassed if I was that stupid. See money doesn’t buy brains or smarts….I hope they put a lien on his property soon and what about all the people he hasn’t paid for work they have done for him. I guess that’s how the rich are rich, they screw the little guys. What a shame and that was about the most idiodic answer I have ever heard.
I think he and his wife Mia (who I don’t think is hot at all) must do business with Bernie Maddoff. That must be how he got his expensive car. The rich just get richer but hope they can sleep at night knowing all the people’s lives they have ruined by just not paying them because he doesn’t feel like it.
Well done José!!! If we look up the level of debt vs. real assests most Palm Beachers have, we´ll get a daunting view of the real situation in the economy and why we are suffering the current economic debacle. This fellow Mathews is no different from Bernie Madoff and company, or Bud Adams, Daniel Catalfumo, Jorge Perez of The Related Group Inc. and other flamboyant figures in South Florida. I bet you that if a common citizen is caught trying to sell the Bill of Rights cited on this article, he or she would not walk away with a slap on the wrist from the feds. Anyone of us would get a few years in the slammer. Let alone owing money to the IRS……
folks, dont hate and get to work !
I will kick him out of my club. I told you I am the richest fake billionaire you will ever meet.
This is the same story, just change the name of the scammer…..just another wannabe rich guy choking on debt!
…I do believe he’s a descendant of the Henry Flagler fortune via his mother, so of course, he’s very “PRIVLIDGED”. And by being so, he doesn’t have to worry about “minor things” like taxes, paying bills to hard working stiffs, etc. He’s kept a very low profile this season, and I suspect the same for Nantucket. Way to go Jose…
When the wealthy fall why do we tend to pile on and feel glory in that. Get a life people.
Fraud
A REAL FAKE PHONY AND FRAUD. GOOD LUCK WEST PALM .
JOSE KEEP DOING A GOOD JOB.
So in fraud we trust is your new slogan?
I don’t think he is related to the Flagler Matthews.
I think he allegedly was involved quite closely with the Former Connecticut Governor….the Gov. who is now in jail or was in jail for taking bribes or some kind or criminal actions or corruption.
I read that this guy was somehow involved in that whole criminal investigation…don’t know for sure or what the results were.
He is allegedly as smooth as a snake.
That’s what I heard rumoured anyway.
They seem to be nice people a little like Robin Hood! Leave them alone and deal with the Bernie Madoff’s of the World! These people gave to charity and lost track a little.
Look in the mirror and stop throwing stones. Mr. Larry Liar. Your time will come when you need a job I won’t hire you! I WONDER WHO WILL!
I called you Larry Liar in my last comment sorry Jose’ it is just that you gossip guys who are out to hurt people all seem the same to me please for give me for confusing you with another of your kind!
Rhonda
forgive is one word
the tax bill has not yet been paid.
he is not being honest as it is now a month after his quote of paying by “month’s end” and his bill is not yet paid.
http://www.nantucketindependent.com/news/2009/0701/front_page/002.html
[...] the summer that developer Bob Matthews‘ financial trouble ended. Already the proud owner of the largest deliquent property tax bill in Palm Beach County (more than $280,000 on his $15.8 million-home), an old hotel in Nantucket, Mass., on which Matthews [...]
Thank you for the spelling lesson I don’t know where I would be had I not put that space in forgive!!!!!!! I have been to Charity event at the Mattheews (I hope I spelled it right)I hope your taste is half as good as their’s.
It’s funny.All these publicity hound want-a-bees who put their face on every magazine talking about how rich and fabulous they are, are really insecure fake people who use other people’s money to try to impress others. Seem the Matthew’s are having to finally pay the piper!!!! Pay ypur taxes instead of going to charity balls!!!! everyone knows how lame that is. I would be ashamed to show my face out pretending I’m something I’m not..You have been exposed!!!!!
Finally—-he really is a fraud–the most important thing to he and his wife was being in society and their pictures in all the papers–what he gave away to charity was money he owed elsewhere, so he really is not the kind, benevolent person he claims to be
I was scammed by him in Nantucket–one of the early investors in Point Breeze–how could he smile as he sold me and my ill husband a bad bill of goods
I owe nothing on back taxes and live my life right–Obviously, they should do the same and have concern for their children who will take the brunt.
I feel sorry for the woman Carol. However, there is a laundry list of others that I hope will soon have their day. Many investors and subcontractors have been swindled by Mr. Matthews. My question is simply this: Why hasn’t the federal government stepped in and tried to find out where he has hidden everyone elses money.
I know Bob, worked with him in the same office. The problem he had was the same one we all had when the real estate bubble went bust. Devaluing properties took away available credit lines on existing properties and lines of credit dried up and it just kept getting worse. I was right there when it started happening, money just tightened up.
Bob made his first money with a fixer upper property that he worked on himself. He is amazingly down to earth for where he was.
He may have lived well with the money, but the things I knew about I would have made the same choices. I did not know about his property taxes.
Well, I don’t know Bob…but don’t lump Mia into all this trouble. She’s an awesome woman, beautiful, intelligent, and obviously a great mother…and I’m sure she has no plastic hangers in her closets…not one!
aladdin