The Florida Division of Corporations is warning those entities that are now filing their annual reports to maintain their active status about two solicitations they may receive seeking fees for actions that are free or not required. One is from Arvitas LLC, a private company sending e-mails to businesses in Florida offering to file annual reports.
“Arvitas is not an agent or representative for the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations,” according to a department alert. “Arvitas is acting on its own to solicit business for its own company. It is offering to file annual reports for business entities in Florida at an inflated fee.”
The department said Arvitas does not offer any additional service than what is available to the public on sunbiz.org and the Attorney General’s Office is currently pursuing legal action against Arvitas.
The alert also warns that Compliance Services (not to be confused with the Florida Corporation, Compliance Services, Inc.) is mailing notices to business entities requesting that “annual minutes” and a fee of $125 be sent to them for filing.
“These notices are not from the Department of State, Division of Corporations,” according to the alert. “‘Annual minutes’ are not required to be filed with any agency. They are to be kept by the business entity itself. Do not confuse these notices with the messages sent by the Division of Corporations reminding each business entity to file its 2011 Annual Report.”
Annual reports are due by May 1.