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State seizes Dawsonville Pool Room over unpaid taxes
Eatery owes $84,000 in fees, taxes
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The future of a landmark Dawson County eatery is in doubt after the Georgia Department of Revenue seized the Dawsonville Pool Room at lunchtime Wednesday.The seizure stems from nearly $84,000 in unpaid taxes and fees, according to a notice posted on the front door of the downtown restaurant.Employees and patrons said agents arrived at the Pool Room about noon Wednesday, ordered everyone out and took possession of the property.The posted notice lists delinquent taxes totaling $43,612 dating back to April 2008. Another $40,000 is owed in penalties, interest and collection fees.Gordon Pirkle, who has owned the Pool Room since the mid-1960s, was out of town at a funeral when authorities seized the restaurant and changed the locks on the doors.Reached by phone later in the day, Pirkle said he had been working with the state to resolve the tax issue.“I’m kind of shocked, because we’ve been working with them to get this resolved,” he said. “The last time we heard from them, they said we were down to about $30,000 we owed.”Pirkle said the problems stem from issues he had with former accountant Warren Pennington.In 2010, Pennington was found guilty on several felony theft counts in connection with funneling client funds intended to pay income tax liabilities.“We know we had money set aside to pay the taxes and Warren was supposed to be paying them,” Pirkle said.