Just eight days before the upcoming special election for the Iowa City City Council, The Daily Iowan received an anonymous tip regarding candidate Ross Nusser’s past financial issues.
The information, which has since been corroborated by court and financial records, reveals candidate Nusser previously faced a federal tax lien and a lawsuit for unpaid property taxes totaling more than $75,000, according to public records.
According to the Internal Revenue Service, a notice of federal tax lien was filed against William Rawson Boyd Nusser, who goes by Ross Nusser, on Oct. 25, 2018, for the amount of $54,910.18 in unpaid taxes on his residence at 13 Briar Ridge Dr. NE in Iowa City. The other party listed on the lien, Jill Gretter, is Nusser’s ex-wife, according to court documents.
In a conversation with the DI, Nusser said the debt, unpaid taxes, and lawsuit filed by American Express was due to his divorce proceedings with Gretter in 2018.
“In business dealings, and divorce as a business dealing, they don’t always end perfectly,” he said. “I’ll be pretty disappointed if details of my divorce and personal journey are shared. They’re fairly private to me.”
Nusser said the accrued debt was mutual between himself and Gretter and came as he was dealing with recovery from substance addiction.
“This recovery is a long process, and I’m still clearing up some of the wreckage of the past,” he said.
In a previous interview with the DI, Nusser said he is disappointed in the twist this election has taken regarding attacks and comments made on each candidate’s personal lives. Nusser cited specific instances, which he stated off the record, about the public commenting on his family history.
“I am running for District C, the City Council position in Iowa City,” he said. “I am not running to be the president of Iowa City.”
Previously, Nusser criticized his opponent Oliver Weilein’s social media posts dating back to 2019, stating that someone with Weilein’s expressed opinions has no place on City Council.
Regarding Nusser’s financial history, Weilein said he is interested in learning more details on the situation.
“If [Nusser] potentially, intentionally tried to get out of paying taxes, then that could be something that’s concerning for somebody who wants to balance a budget in the city or make financial decisions for the city,” Weilein said. “But, at the same time, I don’t know the circumstances of everything to form an opinion.”
A Johnson County warranty deed states Nusser and Gretter were the owners of the Briar Ridge property before selling it on Feb. 17, 2023.
Court records also state Nusser was sued by American Express National Bank for unpaid debt on a credit card.
The lawsuit, filed in the Iowa District Court for Johnson County, alleges Nusser became indebted to American Express National Bank for $20,823.53 on a credit card account. The complaint states Nusser failed to pay the past-due amounts despite being given notice.
An Iowa district court entered a default judgment against Nusser on Sept. 26, 2019, ordering him to pay the unpaid debt plus court costs to American Express National Bank after he failed to respond to the lawsuit.
Court records state Nusser’s wages as a realtor at Urban Acres Real Estate LLC, where he is still employed, were garnished as a result of the lawsuit.
On February 6, 2020, American Express National Bank dismissed its lawsuit against Nusser with prejudice, meaning the case cannot be refiled.
Evan Watson contributed to this report.