DAVIS, W.Va. — The co-owner and managing partner of Timberline Four Seasons Resort in Tucker County was arrested Thursday and charged with 12 counts of failure to pay hotel-motel taxes.
Fred Herz, 56, of Davis, who has the been the face of the family business for more than 30 years, was arraigned in Tucker County Magistrate Court Thursday morning and taken to the Tygart Valley Regional Jail. Bail is set at $6,241.25. All of the charges are misdemeanors.
According to a criminal complaint filed by the Tucker County Sheriff’s Department, Herz did not pay Timberline’s hotel-motel taxes for a total of 12 months covering a period from February 2016 to July 2018. There were payments for some months but not others, investigators said.
“This officer was able to calculate that Timberline Four Seasons Resort owes approximately $4,258.29 as of October 2018 for those months not paid,” the criminal complaint said.
Herz’s arrest comes the same day as an administrative law judge from the state Public Service Commission began a hearing in Davis exploring the option of putting Timberline’s water and sewer utility into receivership because of complaints linked to service, questions about billing and tax issues. The resort and those properties serviced by the utility have been under a precautionary boil water advisory for months. The resort’s utility has more than 400 water customers and more than 740 sewer customers.
Timberline was scheduled to open its ski season Friday but it was announced Thursday that’s now been pushed back to Dec. 21, the fifth announced opening date.
The resort was started by Herz’ uncle, Frederick “Doc” Reichle, a Philadelphia physician, more than 30 years ago.