March 12,
1997
To: Dr. Franklin
From: Melinda Pillsbury-Foster
Dear Dr.
Franklin,
I really did hope it would be
unnecessary to contact you about this, but since I find it is unavoidable it is
also best that I tell you as much of the story as is relevant.
Craig has not filed taxes, either
state or federal for 25 years. I found
this just about six weeks ago. This was
a considerable shock to me since, as part of our marriage agreement he promised
to file and I had taken him to the accountant I used and had paid for six years
of his past returns. I found the returns
at the bottom of box nine while cleaning out his office. You may or may not be aware that Craig simple
throws every thing in boxes. 15 boxes
burned in the barn fire in 1990 but those had come from North Carolina without
being opened.
It took me four weeks working 18
hours a day to organize the stuff. I
found jury summons, traffic tickets and everything imaginable - all unopened or
opened and unanswered. It explained many
things that I had been worried about for a long time.
Evidently, Craig’s pay has been
garnished since 1987. He simply lied to
me about the extreme variation in his pay.
But, of course, he lied about lots of other things, too.
I spent the small inheritance from
my parents, and Morgan’s, too paying debts that had piled up. I sold family heirlooms. I thought for a while Craig had a drinking
problem or was gambling, but no, there was no evidence of that.
Then, last summer Craig told me that
he was having an audit problem and they were levying his pay check. This caused a lot more problems. I was anxious and bewildered. Craig told me he hired a law and accounting
firm, but of course, he could never give them information because he wouldn’t
go through the boxes.
After he came down with diabetes I
insisted on cleaning it up. I might have
done so earlier but when I did he battered me.
Craig is now seeing a therapist, I
hope he keeps at it but am not hopeful.
The reason I am telling you this is that I need information of the bonds
you gave Craig so I can get this to the tax accountant. I knew if I asked you would eventually find
out the story and so am sparing both of us that agony. You would have asked Craig, and he would have
lied, evaded and blamed me. I blacked
out Monday and when I regained consciousness my left arm was numb. Our physician wants me to go to the hospital
but I won’t until I know that there is money to pay the bills, most especially
the kids college, this mortgage, the property taxes and other bills. All very overdue.
I am a believer in honesty. It is my experience that the lack of candor
between individuals causes more problems than anything else. I have never approved of the way Craig and
his siblings deal with each other or you.
You may prefer to believe that I am lying. Therefore, I am giving you the name and
number of our tax accountant, our physician and therapist. If you want to call them, feel free. I will ask them to answer your
questions. This is not because I think
you have a right to know, you don’t.
Craig and especially I have a right to privacy and we are not asking you
for a loan. It is simply to ensure that
if Craig attempts to lie to you there will be an objective means for
checking. I have nothing to hide.
I blacked out after talking to the Franchise
Tax Board. I thought we would be able to
pay these expenses by selling the house on Burnet - but of course, they had
several liens on it, which Craig had neglected to tell me. He was in Japan last week; this week he is
in Boston.
I convinced the IRS to drop their
lien; I convinced the Franchise Tax Board to drop one more lien, but I need the
1994 tax return to get them to release the money, hence, this letter. Now that I have told you, not everything, but
enough I hope to convince you of the need to expedite the flow of information I
will close.
I am truly sorry if this upset
you. I know it will upset Craig, but
somehow am less concerned than I once was about his feelings.
Doug
Thorburn, Acountant - (818) 350-0985
Dr.
Michael Marquart - (805) 966-2294
Dr.
Danson - (805) 682-1934
