Eviction notice latest in series of potential problems for Smosska company
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Eviction notice latest in serious of potential...
On September 23rd, Holcombe Land Development officials say they filed eviction papers on the Smosska company.On September 23rd, Holcombe Land Development officials say they filed eviction papers on the Smosska company.
Smosska officials say they make patient medical information cards, and had been operating in Florence out of an office at 2137C Hoffmeyer Road.
That office space is owned by Holcombe Land Development.
HLD officials say that they filed the eviction papers after failing to receive rent payments from Smosska.
They say they received a pro-rated payment on July 10, when the company moved into the office. HLD officials also say they also received a bad check for August rent on August 25th. HLD officials say that Smosska did not make any other rent payments since that time.
Smosska officials first came under question in July, after holding a job fair in which they charged a $40 assessment fee to potential applicants.
Officials with the Better Business Bureau announced that they were investigating the company because of what they called “red flags”, including the assessment fees, the company’s claim that it wanted to employ 3,000 people in a short amount of time, and the lack of a permanent facility.
Smosska officials were not immediately available on Monday when attempts were made to contact them using the phone number listed on their web site.
In August, the Better Business Bureau turned its investigation into the company over to the Attorney General’s Office.
BBB officials say they have not yet heard back from that office as to whether or not it will pursue an investigation into the company.
Also in August, the local Employment Security Commission office said it stopped referring clients to the company.
ESC officials say they had previously received information from the company advertising jobs and had previously referred clients to Smosska.
ESC officials say they were waiting on information from Smosska before referring any more clients that way, and continue to wait on that information.
Officials with the Florence County Economic Development Partnership met with Smosska officials in July to discuss the company’s plans for the area.
Since that time, development officials say they have checked in occasionally with the Smosska company, but have not had any other formal meetings or exchanges of information.
- News13’s Conan Gasque contributed to this report
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I have commented on this before, I was sent to smosska by the unemployment office. I paid the 40bucks and took the test, out of fear of losing unemployment benefits. I asked someone at the unemployment office about the company before my interview and was told “ask alot of questions”. That is the only help I received. I agree it is crazy to have to pay for the test, I did it because the unemployment office sent my there and I did not want to lose unemployment benefits. Until May I had a job, and until any of you walk into work and find out you are no longer needed or your job has been outsourced to another state, then you have no idea(and i pray you dont have to find out) what it is like. To lose income and insurance is rather devastating. So to everyone that knows more than everyone else- pray tonight that you are never faced with these issues, you may find you would do “stupid or idiotic” things to find a job, especially if you are told to. As I said before - I hope that all of you who have a jobs never know what it is like to be in the unemployment line.
“Don’t judge unless you are in their shoes.“
Sorry,IMO, but I fight for my rights & stand by my original post. It was foolish of them not to take their concerns to the unemployment office out of some imaginary fear that they might get a “hard time” for paying questionable fees on an application. I’d hate to be one of the ones giving someone a “hard time” if it was my job to help such persons in the first place. That’d be one quick way to find yourself in their shoes looking for a job.
Acorn & everything associated with it is suspect, and someone should have been digging deeper back when this story was first reported.
LOL I did research and this is what I found…. I feel for the people that really need employment, there are some sad people out there taking advantage and you all deserve better.
“In any case, with the shady or nearly non-existent business history, the many unannounced connections to ACORN, to Obama and various other community organizer groups, and the lack of a manufacturing plant, it is more likely that this company is just another shell corporation for ACORN or ACORN-like activities to hide behind.
So why all the mystery, why the refusal to really inform the Florence community as to what this corporation really intends to do? With the illegal activities connected to so many of these community organizing groups, it’s not a shock that such ties would be hidden from view.
Florence better be very careful about this one. Let’s hope the Better Business Bureau doesn’t just drop its investigation and Florencers can become fully informed about what this Smosska Corporation is really up to.“
You have to know if they are in any way associated with ACORN they are a fine upstanding organization. NOT! It looks like a pipe dream to me, unfortunately.
Thats just what I found out!!! Everybody found out different things… like I said before its my opinion if you don’t like it ignore it!!!
“HLD officials say that they filed the eviction papers after failing to receive rent payments from Smosska.
They say they received a pro-rated payment on July 10, when the company moved into the office. HLD officials also say they also received a bad check for August rent on August 25th. HLD officials say that Smosska did not make any other rent payments since that time.“
hmm…I don’t see how if your in school for criminal jusctice, you would believe they got evicted “because people were complaining.“ I don’t think thats a viable reason to kick someone out of their lease..
I found this info:
—-
The links between Smosska and the troubled community group weren’t openly admitted, to be sure. The Florence Better Business Bureau looked into the company after questions were raised about its odd characteristics. The BBB found that Smosska is being backed by a group called Organizers for America, which itself is a subsidiary of the National Organizers Alliance,which is affiliated with ACORN—-
Before I make a comment to those that feel the need to take what I said and blow everything out of proportion I would like to say this: Yesmaam I wasn’t trying to be mean I felt disrespected by you commenting on my comment rather than comment on the report and for LISA: yes, I have two beautiful children, but I graduated from high school with a 4.0!!!!!!i am currently attending college and hopefully in the next two years, if the Lord spare my life I will be attending law school!! And another thing for yesmaam this is a comment not an English report so I don’t feel that my grammar on here is important….And to the one that asked the question about why I feel this company is going to make it…I did research on this company for myself. I’m majoring in criminal justice so I just wanted to do a little research of my own rather than listen to the media and this is my findings:
1) Smosska was not evicted nor did they write and bad check….The landlord asked them to leave because people were complaining
2) I called the number on the website and it was connected!
3) They did hire people because I took it upon myself to talk to some of the employees.
4) How could this company be linked with ACORN when the only findings were that the president of the company only went on the website of President Obama and made a comment
5) If people did so call research than they would know that hoffmeyer isn’t the only location of this company!(there are two locations other than hoffmeyer to be exact)
*** and if this company wasn’t legit then why are there offers made to buy the company, even though they refused!!!
Doesn’t all this seem kind of odd!!!All I’m saying is do some research yourselves and see what you guys come up with!
Lisa: I guess I must be one of those so call “IDIOTS” that you’re talking about. I am very intelligent and I did graduate from high school. YOU DON’T HAVE A FREAKING CLUE!!! You don’t know any of us. You don’t know what we have to do just to draw the little bit of unemployment that we get. Yes, we are very hopeful for any job that might come our way. For people like myself, we don’t like to sit around and mooch off of someone else. So we do what we have to do. I hope that one day soon you have to draw unemployment so you can see how it works. KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT BEFORE YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH!!!!!
Sounds like an off-shoot of ACORN to me.
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