Fleetwood Diner in Mount Vernon closes, reopens over tax issue

The open sign was out today at Fleetwood Diner, a week after the state closed the Mount Vernon business for failure to pay taxes for five years.

The Department of Taxation and Finance slapped a bright red seizure notice on the Mount Vernon restaurant on April 11, took the keys and barred the owner and employees from entering the premises at 520 Gramatan Ave.

The corporate owner, Pellchester Inc., New Rochelle, owed $132,573 going back to 2012, agency spokesman James Gazzale said. The company was formed in 2011, but has been inactive since August, according to a Department of State record.

“We are in communication with business owners long before it comes to this point,” he said, “in hopes of finding ways to resolve the tax debt as quickly as possible.”

If a taxpayer doesn”™t respond, the state steps up pressure by issuing warrants. In this case, there were open warrants for five years of unpaid sales taxes and one year each for withholding and corporate taxes.

“The overwhelming majority of business owners voluntarily remit the proper amount of taxes to the state,” Gazzale said.

But if warrants don”™t work, the state seizes the property.

“We continue to look for mutually beneficial ways to solve the tax debt as quickly as possible,” he said, “and return the keys so they can reopen the business.”

The landlord verified that Hector Vera owns the diner. A man who answered the phone on April 18 passed it to a woman who identified herself as Vera”™s daughter.

“We”™re open tomorrow,” she said.

“He went in today and they gave him the keys. Nothing is wrong. The business is fine.”