IRS files another tax lien vs owners of Dynasty

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service has filed another notice of tax lien before the federal court against Hong Kong Entertainment (Overseas) Investment Ltd., owner of the now-defunct Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino, for allegedly owing $15,387 for the tax period ending on March 31, 2017.

According to IRS court documents, taxes assessed against HKE remain unpaid.

“There is a lien in favor of the United States on all property and rights to property belonging to this taxpayer for the amount of these taxes, and additional penalties, interest, and costs that may accrue,” said revenue officer David Choi in the notice of federal tax lien.

Choi claimed that HKE owes Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Returns in the amount of $15,387.10.

Last December and October 2016, IRS also filed a notice of federal tax lien against HKE for allegedly owing $15,195.96 and $593,821 in taxes for tax period ending on Sept. 30, 2016, and for 2015 to 2016 tax period respectively.

HKE no longer has any employees in the CNMI and that water and power to the Tinian Dynasty have been shut off, according to court documents.

Meanwhile, HKE and Tinian Dynasty co-owner, Mega Stars Overseas Limited, through counsel Daniel T. Guidotti, informed the U.S. District Court for the NMI last week that they have custody of the documents requested by former foreign employees.

Guidotti said the documents are located in the now-defunct Tinian Dynasty hotel.

Guidotti and attorney Samuel I. Mok, counsel for the former foreign employees, have filed a stipulation, requesting the court to modify the scheduling order in the former workers’ lawsuit.

About 500 former foreign workers sued HKE and Mega Stars over the denial of their CNMI-Only Transitional Worker (CW-1) petitions. There are reportedly 15 remaining plaintiffs in this case.

Guidotti and Mok said HKE and Mega Stars hired lawyer G. Anthony Long, one of HKE’s and Mega Stars’ former attorneys, for the purpose of obtaining additional discovery in this lawsuit.

Guidotti and Mok said depositions of the parties are not yet complete because many of the witnesses are off-island, including two of the plaintiffs who have not been able to re-enter the CNMI due to immigration issues.

The lawyers said the lawsuit is a complex case involving 15 separate plaintiffs of different nationalities and two corporate defendants.

Guidotti and Mok said HKE is no longer in active operation while Mega Stars is overseas.

Despite these difficulties, the parties have made significant, cooperative progress in preparing this case for trial, the two lawyers said.

They said each of the 15 plaintiffs have responded to 15 separate sets of discovery requests as well as 15 separate sets of interrogatories from each of HKE and Mega Stars.

Guidotti and Mok said HKE and Mega Stars have partially responded to the plaintiffs’ discovery requests and interrogatories.

The lawyers said they are continuing to work out the remaining discovery issues.

In their lawsuit, Eric Dona and co-plaintiffs alleged that the owners and management of Tinian Dynasty lied to them about their immigration status, that they were legally authorized to work despite the denial of their CW-1 petitions.