(Ruben Cortez, candidate for Texas House of Representatives District 37, had three cases in court for delinquent taxes totaling some $50,000, one dating back to 2016, and was interviewed by a local broadcaster where he admitted as much. One of those properties was under the name of Rick Zayas, his business partner's name. Following the interview, Zayas appeared at the delinquent tax firm's office and paid the debt in full late Thursday. Subsequently, Cortez cancelled his advertisement contract with the broadcast station of the reporter who cornered him on his tax debt.)
Special to El Rrun-Rrun
A search of court dockets and tax rolls has revealed that Ruben Cortez, candidate for newly-configured Texas House of Representatives District 37, as of Thursday afternoon was not only delinquent in his $81,663 appraised residence taxes since 2016, but that there were three lawsuits charging him with also not paying back taxes dating back to 2018 on a condominium on South Padre Island valued at more than $160,000.
All told, there were three lawsuits and tax last year's taxes on his home and personal property charging him with delinquent taxes, penalties and fees totaling $50,210.
He faces local businessman Luis Villarreal and Harlingen city commissioner Frank Puente in the Democratic Party primary March 1.
In the first lawsuit on his property (2021-DCL-06926), delinquent tax collection law firm Linebarger, Goggan Blair & Sampson LLP charged that Cortez and wife Sandra K. Cortez owed a total of $23,750 in back taxes and fees on the property valued at $150, 798 at 735 Havana St. at the Brownsville Country Club.
(The property is listed under Brownsville attorney Rick Zayas, but he has said that the real owner is Cortez and that he was just "holding" it for him. He directed all question on the delinquent taxes to Cortez, his former colleague on the Brownsville Independent School District board of trustees.)
And the firm has also filed a lawsuit (2021-DCL-01837-1) on personal property for two accounts listed as Snakre Vending LLC dating as far back as 2018 for $3,067.
Snakre Vending was the LLC formed by Zayas and Cortez when they were given the commissary contract with the Cameron County Sheriff's Dept. that generated close to $1 million in annual sales to prisoners at the county's detention centers.
And to top it off, Cortez was also behind $2,250 on his 2021 taxes on his home at 735 Habana St. If he did not pay this amount in the next four months, it would have resulted in a fourth lawsuit.
Taxes on the properties are owed to the Brownsville ISD, South Texas ISD, the City of Brownsville, Brownsville Navigation District, Cameron County, Drainage District #1, and Texas Souhmost College.
It's ironic that Cortez was behind in his taxes to the BISD since his wife Sandra is a principal at Yturria Elementary commanding a $100,000-plus salary. Not paying his school district taxes, in effect, shifted the tax burden to the rest of the district's taxpayers who pay his wife's salary.
21 comments:
Hey, he paid!
Now go after every one of the other 20,000 who are also in arrears - many of them your friends.
(Didn't Alex Dominguez pay your mother's $178 in taxes last year?)
pos, si.
Ho-hum.
County Tax Office grants "payment plans". How many residents are taking advantage of those? Too many! Even those with great salaries!!! Check it out, reporter.
c/s
I'm still voting for Ruben Cortez!!!
You don't tell me what to do!!!!
9:57am. DUMBASS. CAVEMAN AND (WIFE PRESUMIDA).
It does not matter who pays the taxes. They were paid.
And for the 20,000, they are on a payment plan and continue to pay each month. As per contract agreement. UNLIKE YOU AND YOUR PRESUMIDA WIFE YOU WILL LOSE. YOU WANT MORE AND YOU CANNOT AFFORD IT.
Pinche rata culera!
At least he comes from a good family. Honest and educated.
Pay the taxes when they fix the potholes, flooding, signal light (sync), traffic jams all over and replace the vending machine at the airport AND WITH CHEETOOOOOS...
No excuses for not paying what you owe. So shut up and quit defending this Rata.
Glad he paid. I am glad he is being honest. At least he does consider his constituents as “needy.”
First two comments are by the cyber pest Eduardo Paz Martinez…. Better known in the MCAllen are as El Mojon Viejo. Pobre anciano
Let's go Rams!
Super Bowl next Sunday, the 13th.
Same Rat as his mother and cousins Reynas. Pura Badura!
First two comments are by the cyber pest Eduardo Paz Martinez… Better known in the MCAllen are as El Mojon Viejo. Pobre anciano
2:46pm LOL
February 5, 2022 at 10:56 AM
Hahahahahahahahha Jajajajajajajajajaja REALLY?
February 5, 2022 at 10:10 AM
Good answer, now your taxes will double next year and you can thank him estupido
Is there such a thing as going to prison as wife and husband?
You want to vote for this guy while your taxes are paying his wife's salary while he continues to ditch his duties as a taxpayer ? What does he do for a living , besides the time he got rich with Zayas and had the jail commissary back in the day?
paga las taxes pinche rata
My goodness, his wife makes $100,000 and can't contribute at least to their home's taxes? What does she do with all that lana? i make half of that, and help out in my household.
Sandy Cortez is too busy driving her luxury vehicles. First, a Mercedes SUV and now a Range Rover. But, after 6 years of not paying their delinquent taxes of 50,000 dollars and being publicly shamed, Ruben and Sandy Cortez finally decided to pay up, what they owed the citizens of Cameron County! Seriously, do NOT vote for Ruben Cortez!! Fact, he cheated on his taxes for 6 years!!
Dirty Luke his mom and his relatives Gus and Javier Reyna.
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