Dr. Erwin Jackson, a businessman and local government activist, has filed a complaint with the Second Judicial Circuit Court in Leon County seeking a judgement that the recent election of Scott Maddox to the City Commission is invalid.
The complaint was filed today at 3:18 P.M.
The filing claims Maddox is ineligible for the City Commission because he does not live in the City of Tallahassee and asserts his legal residence is “his expansive million-dollar estate outside of the city where he has lived with his family more than a decade.”
Dr. Jackson told TR “that Mr. Maddox has been playing the people of Tallahassee as fools for far too long. It is obvious he has been gaming the system for his own benefit.”
Maddox’s residency has been the subject of debate since he declared his candidacy for City Commission in 2012. At that time, his residence was not in the city limits.However, he put his home, located on Meadow Wood, up for sale on June 15, 2012 for approximately $1.6 million and moved into a home he owned on Adams Street. The Adams Street residence is located within the city limits. He won election to the City Commission in November, 2012.
However, his home located outside the city never sold and was taken off of the market in January 2015.
More recently, questions about Mr. Maddox’s residency came up on the message boards when he dropped out of the Leon County Superintendent’s race and qualified for re-election to the City Commission. He qualified for the City Commission on June 23, 2016 identifying his residency as the home on Adams Street, which he no longer owns.
He subsequently put his home located outside the city back up for sale on August 1, 2016 for approximately $1.1 million. He won re-election on August 3oth, 2016.
The court action states Maddox uses the home on Adams Street “as his residency solely for political purposes.” The filing includes numerous claims that petitioner says indicates Maddox has maintained his residency outside the city limits. Among those claims are that the Maddox family (wife and two children) lists the Meadow Wood address on their drivers licenses. Also, the filing states that Mr. Maddox recently made a $1,000 contribution to a state legislator and used the Meadow Wood address to record the donation.
The complete filing can be read here.
The filing concludes by stating, “In sum, Maddox’s claim that North Adams, rather than Meadow Wood, is his legal residence is simply not credible. Instead, Maddox has since 2004 fixed his abode at Meadow Wood with the present intention of making it his permanent home.”
Previously, Mr. Maddox, when asked, has said he lives at the Adams Street location. Repeated attempts to reach City Commissioner Scott Maddox were unsuccessful.
Dr. Erwin Jackson Seeks Judgement in Circuit Court Invalidating Election of City Commissioner Scott Maddox added by Staff on
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He’ll get smacked down. Lives in the past and needs to move on.
“My father was a rolling stone. Wherever he laid is hat was his home.”
Per the Leon County Property Appraiser’s office [1], Mr. Maddox does not claim a homestead exemption on his Meadow Wood property. However, he purchased a property on Sinclair Road (within the city) on 08/09/2016 and claims a homestead exemption on that property. Both properties use the Adams Street office as the mailing address.
Further research shows he did not actually purchase the Sinclair Road property, but rather had it quit claim deeded over to him. The grantors of the quit claim deed are Charles and Fredericka Maddox [2]. Family members?
Seems like Mr. Maddox pulled a fast one right before the election.
[1] http://www.leonpa.org/pt/search/commonsearch.aspx?mode=owner
[2] http://cvweb.clerk.leon.fl.us/public/clerk_services/official_records/download_document.asp?book=4961&page=357
Pretty sure those are his parents. But, he would have had to live in the city limits during candidate qualifying period, June 20th – 24th 2016, in order to avoid the trouble. I doubt anything comes of this though. The office location has sleeping arrangements and all of his mail goes there. His license indicates the Adams St. address as well. All he would have to say is that he is in the process of moving and that would show “intent” and facts and be really hard to disprove.
Discovery in this court case should include requests for all of Maddox’s personal and business income tax returns. The IRS has very strict, and court tested, law on what is considered a primary personal residence for treatment of various expense items such as primary home mortgage interest expense, real estate taxes, office in home expenses, travel expenses to and from home and office, and several other areas which could potentially shed a lot of light on where Maddox actually considered himself to be living versus where he considered himself to be working.
If Maddox is not an “elector”, and therefore can not legally run as a candidate for the City Commission office, then he has also likely committed election fraud when he undoubtedly voted for himself in the city elections.
It is fraud like this that actually hurts state workers. If the legislature and Governor see that the voters in this town will accept fraud and unethical behavior over and over again, then why are state employees worthy of any recognition or raise?
Check the property tax rolls to see where Maddox files for Homestead Exemption and Save Our Homes. Wouldn’t that answer all of this?
Not necessarily. He could be renting. I suppose we have to define residence. Where you sleep most of the year?
You don’t get a Homestead Exemption if you are renting. Because you don’t own the property.
BTW, the Adams Street property is AN OFFICE.
Bill Proctor pulled (still pulls?) this stunt for years and nobody did anything. Why the fuss now?
Oh. Yeah. Mustn’t mention THAT….
You are correct and County Commissioner Bill Proctor, Chairman should be removed also. This makes Leon County look so bad and facts are we are #1 in crime, have a failed CDA, and now a mishandled mismanaged utility. How much more harm can they do? Hardly a way to be considered credible on the, local, state and federal level. They should be charged with fraud and made to pay back the pay they have received. A special prosecutor should be brought in to see why State Attorney Willie Meggs has looked the other way for so many years.
Could you cite the source of the claim you made “we are #1 in crime” please? I am interested in how this is measured. Is this in the state, nation, world? Thanks
Please Governor Scott remove the elected officials who don’t live in their districts from office. Our community is deteriorating because of this corruption like this. Have them arrested for fraud and make them pay restitution for the pay they have received while committing this fraud.
How disrespectful Maddox is to his family by stating he “lives” downtown and not with his family.
How troubling that Maddox commits this obvious blatant fraud and he has the nerve to hide behind State Attorney Willie Meggs. Arrest Meggs, also if he chooses to conspire with Maddox in this FRAUD!
Bravo to Mr. Jackson!
I hope this gets whole thing settled Maddox and the others
I still ask the question, whybis former leader of Democratic Party in Florida running for superintendent then city commission AGAIN. Why not senate, house, or governor.
Because he can’t win any of those races.
That is a pretty pricey home for someone who spent most of their life on the taxpayer’s back!
My goodness, image that, a City commissioner gaming the system. Go figure.