Main fundraiser photo

Financially devastated by betrayal

Donation protected
My Name is Dave Sindberg and I am the owner of a small family owned and operated business based in the Madison area of Wisconsin. When I purchased the company from the previous owner in 2004, I did so by investing my family’s entire life’s savings. I had been employed by this company for many years previously and held a great passion for our customers, our business and the resulting relationships that have been nurtured and matured over the years. I take great pride in maintaining the high customer support model that we are known for. I also made it an important point to hire family and close friends to work within our company. It is my way of “giving back” to the community.

In 2013, the company celebrated its 55th year in business, and our struggle began that has been with us daily for the past three years. Increasingly, I began noticing indicators that our financial statements were not correct. Our bookkeeper, who was a close family friend and had worked for our company for fifteen years, had not previously brought anything out of the ordinary to our attention. With immediate and increasing concern, I requested a meeting with him and our Accounting firm for the following Friday. The following Wednesday, our bookkeeper experienced a massive heart attack and passed away. That was the beginning of our nightmare. First was the devastation of losing a friend and co-worker. Then we had to hire a new bookkeeper. Through our Accounting firm we hired a new bookkeeper that specialized in problems and projects.  She came in and started uncovering thousands and thousands of dollars that were owed to vendors, utilities, the IRS and State Department of Revenue. We found that our bookkeeper and friend of many years had been keeping two sets of books for our business. It took us about seven months before we finally uncovered how he had been stealing the money from us for years.  At that point we had a few options. One was to go after his wife and family, but they were struggling with the loss of their husband and father and were also struggling financially. They had sold just about everything they had just to keep their house. I just couldn’t do that to them or even tell them what he had done. There was nothing to gain and the situation could not be corrected by taking this course of action.

So we set up payment plans with everybody and explained what had happened and started moving forward. We seemed to be making progress and regaining back our business and our hope. That is, until one day last year the state department of revenue decided they wanted to be paid back faster than we were able to do. They put a continuous levy on our bank account and took every penny that was in that account. As a result, our scheduled monthly payments to both the State and IRS defaulted. Next the IRS put a lien on our home and put a continuous levy on all other accounts. Things have been very tough for my family, needless to say.  We had been barely getting by, and then 6-weeks ago the State decided they wanted to get paid back quicker so they started taking 25% of my wife’s gross pay which after taxes, insurance and other deductions leaves us with $60.00 each pay period. Now the bank isn't getting paid which means we are going in to a deeper hole and are at the point of having our family home repossessed. So I need to come up with a minimum of $215,000.00 by November 10th or we lose just about everything.  And that amount doesn't cover the loans that are now in default because of the levies. 
I just don't know what to do any more. 

My Wife and I looked at filing for bankruptcy for both the business and personally but that does not get us out of what we owe the IRS and State Department of Revenue in the amount of approximately $175,000.00. We also need to pay our accountant to do last year’s business and personal taxes and file documentation with the State and Feds. That's about $5,000.00. This is simply money we do not have. 

 The emotional and financial devastation, along with the betrayal that we have experienced, have been crippling to my family. It has been awful having to decide what to pay; utilities, gas, insurances or groceries. The most essential needs are now, unfortunately, becoming a luxury. My wife Cheryl our daughter Sarah and I have always taken great pride in our ability to help others in need, and contribute to the betterment of the community whenever possible.  We have volunteered, personally and professionally, at many of our area schools over the years, helped out with community concerts, fundraisers, doing or supplying sound systems for all sorts of community events, the Humane Society and many other clubs and organizations. 

It is not just my family’s lives at stake; it’s our employees, our customers that rely on us especially all the nonprofits, schools and small locally owned business to who we provide our services. The local suppliers we buy our supplies from and the contractors we share the projects with that will suffer if we lose everything.  We will no longer be able to give assistance to so many of our community partners and programs.

 It is at the urging of our accountant and close friends to now turn to your kindness and community support. We are well aware that each of us has a “story”, troubles, hardships or burdens. That is why my family and I have hesitated to reach out and ask for help. It now appears that we have very little choice at this point in our journey but to do just that. If you are able to help us in any way, even if it is just with a “share”, we ask that you do. Our eternal gratitude will follow. We thank you, 

Blessings,

Dave
Donate

Donations 

  • Debby Strickland
    • $50 
    • 7 yrs
Donate

Organizer

Dave Sindberg
Organizer
City of Middleton, WI

Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

  • Easy

    Donate quickly and easily.

  • Powerful

    Send help right to the people and causes you care about.

  • Trusted

    Your donation is protected by the  GoFundMe Giving Guarantee.