The owner of a local Washington business owes $242,000 in delinquent taxes.
Doug Waldemar, who closed the Golden Corral restaurant this past February, neglected to pay $92,818,23 in state taxes and $150,000 in federal taxes, according to the Illinois Department of
Revenue’s delinquent taxpayer list.
The liability date was posted as July 2008, and the public notice appeared Nov. 2 on the department’s Web site list.
Waldemar abruptly shut the restaurant’s door without notice, leaving employees who returned to work in the morning facing only a sign that read, “Sorry, we are closed,” and wondering if they would get paid.
“We went to work on Saturday morning, after working until 1:30 in the morning, and the doors were just closed,” said Tina McCormick of Washington.
Nine months later, some employees have still only received partial paychecks, or no money at all.
McCormick said all of the workers had to wait two-and-a-half weeks before hearing any news.
“The owner and the manager went to Merrillville, Ind., where he owns another restaurant,” said McCormick. “After that, some of us got paid.”
She said she received her pay for all but the last two days of her work, but that her son,Timothy Harris, who worked as a dishwasher, has not been paid for working the previous two weeks.
“On Thursday and Friday, we both worked 14-hour days,” said McCormick. “The dishwasher was broken down. Everybody had bailed but us, and we stayed and cleaned up the place by ourselves.”
She said that she is still in contact with others who worked for the Golden Corral, and that together they went to a job fair, sponsored by Mark O’Connell, manager of Denhart’s Bakery, on the Washington Square.
“There were about 18 prospective companies that came to drop off information or to interview,” said O’Connell. “Most interviewed on the spot.”
Kroger, Cellular One, Pizza Hut, Gracie’s Restaurant and Washington Christian Village were just a few looking to hire.
O’Connell said a sign was posted on the closed doors of the Golden Corral, advertising the job fair, and after contacting a couple of employees, they networked with each other.
About 30 to 40 people came searching for a new job, but O’Connell does not know how many were hired.
“There were about 10 of us that went to look for a new job,” said McCormick. “It was OK, and it was not. I think they were looking for younger people who they could pay less. I did not find anything.”
McCormick said she knows some of the employees she worked with have found new jobs, but she has not.
“It is just really hard right now,” said McCormick, who is looking to waitress. “Nobody is really hiring. But at least I got most of my pay, others did not. I think I just got lucky.”
According to Coldwell Realty, the listing agent of 1896 Washington Road, there have been many inquiries about the building, but so far, efforts to sell it have been unsuccessful. This week, carpets were cleaned and bushes were trimmed to appeal to potential buyers.
