Previous business owner is in control of business phone numbers

[stevorocks]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

I am the new owner of a business which has had advertising and telephone information in the Yellow Book for many years. This year, I paid for the advertising, using the same business phone numbers. However, Verizon currently holds the phone numbers, and will not change the accounts over to me without the previous owner's approval. He refuses to give up the numbers, and is in fact answering the phones, identifying himself as me, and taking orders and money from customers for his own financial gain. I think this is embezzelment, fraud, and identity theft. What can I do?

 

[rhinocl]

Are you comfortable telling us what type of business you're talking about?(Obviously if there are only three customers or never very many new ones it is a different situation than if you are missing out on a lot of new customers). Was this a corporation or a proprietorship that you bought? Did you buy the entity or just its business? Was the purchase contract worded to protect you against something like this? Was there a non-compete agreement? How do you know he is pretending to be you? Could you prove it? Is the income he's making from doing this traceable and provable? (in case you let him continue to do this and later sue for the profits that should be yours). Is he siphoning off enough business to put you in a bind? How long ago did you complete the purchase? Do you owe him any money you could withhold or pay into a court during a lawsuit?