WARREN Safety-service director has pay garnished

The safety-service director says his memory is fuzzy.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH and DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Ohio has been unable to collect more than $6,000 in taxes and penalties from city Safety-Service Director Fred Harris.
Judge W. Wyatt McKay of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court has approved attaching Harris' wages so the state can get paid.
"I found out last night that the order has been sent to payroll," Harris said. "I'm going to talk to my attorney about this today."
The garnishment order states that Harris owes $6,199.99, according to city auditor Dave Griffing. The garnishment does not give any details.
"This had to do with a business I owned years and years ago," Harris said.
"What I remember is that $1,100 is what I owed in taxes, and the rest is penalty. I think I owned it in the 1980s, and it was a consulting business, but my memory on the whole thing is fuzzy right now."
Harris could not remember the name of the company.
Letters from the state were received before the garnishment, and Harris said he gave them to his attorney, George Kafantaris.
"My attorney thought they had the wrong person, and he was going to try and work it out," Harris said.
"I remember paying the money, so I don't know what this is all about, but I will find out."
Lawyer's explanation
Kafantaris said the problem stems from a business dispute between Harris and a business partner 10 to 15 years ago.
Kafantaris couldn't recall the type of business.
"There was a dispute about what was owed and who owed it," Kafantaris said.
The lawyer said there was discussion back and forth and he thinks it had been turned over to a collection agency.
sinkovich@vindy.com