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Need help being petty - a grievance against a state


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I am purchasing a practice in another state and called the state licensing board to get licensed in that state. The licensing board told me in December that I could apply through 2 different channels based on my background. I chose one of the two channels and paid a $900 fee. In January I received a letter that stated that I needed to send in fingerprints and needed to take a law and ethics exam. I called about 5 times and sent about 5 emails over the last month to find out my current status and yesterday I finally got in touch with the person who sent the original letter. This analyst told me that they had a new rule that started in January and that I had to apply through the other channel. I told her that that was okay and just transfer the money towards the new application. She responded that the $900 was non-refundable and that I could write a letter to her supervisor but that no one in the past has been successful in getting application money transferred to a new application or in getting the money refunded.

Fuck that. It has to be against the law, but it is a government agency. Plus, the state licensing board is in charge of fucking ethics. Any good ideas?

Edited by Bevo
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I am sure the agency would have no problem with me taking money for procedures and then a week later telling the patients that they were no longer candidates for that procedure but a different one was available to accomplish the same goal but the money they paid was non-refundable and non-transferable.

Car dealerships would love it too. Take money for one car and then tell the customer that that exact car was no longer available but a different colored one was still available. And then tell the customer that the money they paid for the car was non-refundable and non-transferable.

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If appealing to the boss doesn't work then I'd call the state representative's constituent affairs office.  Tell them you're buying a business in their constituency and you provide jobs and that the state is shaking you down for license application money.

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Just now, BearSchlong said:

If appealing to the boss doesn't work then I'd call the state representative's constituent affairs office.  Tell them you're buying a business in their constituency and you provide jobs and that the state is shaking you down for license application money.

This seems like a really good idea.  

If you were to take them to small claims court, which otherwise seems "doable," the AGs office is likely to bust out with sovereign immunity defenses, which are gonna require a lawyer to overcome.

 

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While in college my son spent 3 summers working for both a US Congressman in Washington and his State congressman in Texas handling constituent issues.  This should be in their wheelhouse.  Especially if you tell them the aliens tried to reprogram you but a tin foil hat kept their mind rays at bay.

You wouldn't believe half the shit people want to discuss with their congressman.

My guess it's (Occam's Razor) a simple accounting thing; their equipped to take fees but transferring them or refunding them breaks their brains.  Or a statute/regulatory thing "NON-REFUNDABLE" blah blah.

In that case, you'll pay twice and find creative ways to screw that state over to make yourself whole.

Edited by BearSchlong
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On 7/2/2020 at 12:03 PM, TwiceHorn said:

This seems like a really good idea.  

If you were to take them to small claims court, which otherwise seems "doable," the AGs office is likely to bust out with sovereign immunity defenses, which are gonna require a lawyer to overcome.

 

When I contact the manager, would you say that it is a violation of the Deceptive Trade Practices Act or is there something else that makes such practices illegal? Wouldn't complaints go to the Office of the Attorney General?

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1 minute ago, Bevo said:

When I contact the manager, would you say that it is a violation of the Deceptive Trade Practices Act or is there something else that makes such practices illegal? Wouldn't complaints go to the Office of the Attorney General?

I wouldn't try to get all flex-y.  Whether there's a DTPA and whether it can be asserted against the state is going to depend on the state, so you're liable to just look foolish.

Using the legislator in your soon-to-be district sounds like a great way to proceed.

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