AmeriVest appoints KPMG: Real-estate concern AmeriVest Properties, in Denver, has dropped nearly bankrupt Andersen as its auditor, choosing to appoint KPMG as its new independent auditor. Andersen’s audit practice officially ended on Aug. 31, 2002.
Andersen served as the office property owners’ auditor since 2000. "During that time, Andersen provided exemplary professional service," said AmeriVest’s chief financial officer, D. Scott Ikenberry. AmeriVest owns 23 office properties and serves small to midsized office tenants in Denver and other markets.
In other KPMG news, the Big Four firm resigned as auditor for Med Diversified Inc., an operator of health industry-related companies.
In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, KPMG said that during the course of its audit "likely illegal acts" had come to the firm’s attention and concluded that the policies in question may have had a material affect on the company’s financial statements.
KPMG said that it could not rely on management’s representations and did not want to be associated with management-prepared financials. KPMG also recommended that the company consult with legal counsel. In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Med Diversified disagreed with KPMG’s findings.
Grant Thornton adds two as audit clients: National accounting and consulting firm Grant Thornton, of Chicago, has added Interleukin Genetics and Tarragon Realty Investors as audit clients.
San Antonio-based Interleukin said in an 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it dropped its former auditor Andersen in June.
New York-based Tarragon Realty, which develops and subsequently manages real estate properties, ended its auditor-client relationship with Andersen on Aug. 2. Coinciding with its hiring of GT, Tarragon said that it would begin expensing stock options in order to achieve "greater accounting transparency."
Form 8-K Filings
Agate Technologies Inc. (Newport Beach, Calif.), from Singer Lewak Greenbaum & Goldstein to Kenny H. Lee CPA Group.
American Commercial Lines (Jeffersonville, Ind.), from PricewaterhouseCoopers to Ernst & Young.
American Physicians Service Group Inc. (Austin, Texas), from KPMG to BDO Seidman.
Arizona Land Income Corp. (Phoenix), from Andersen to Epstein, Weber & Conover.
Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. (Hercules, Calif.), from Andersen to Deloitte & Touche.
Centerpoint Corp. (New York), from Andersen to BDO Seidman.
Correctional Properties Trust (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.), from Andersen to Ernst & Young.
CTI Industries Corp. (Barrington, Ill.), from Grant Thornton to McGladrey & Pullen.
Diversified Resources Group Inc. (Melbourne, Fla.), from HJ & Associates to Michaelson & Co.
Essential Reality Inc. (New York), from Lesley, Thomas, Schwarz & Postma to Deloitte & Touche.
FullCircle Registry Inc. (Louisville, Ky.), from Pritchett, Siler & Hardy to Chisholm & Associates.
Heritage Propane Partners/U.S. Propane (Tulsa, Okla.), from Andersen to Grant Thornton.
Insynq Inc. (Tacoma, Wash.), from Grant Thornton to Weinberg and Co.
Joy Global Inc. (Milwaukee, Wis.), from PricewaterhouseCoopers to Ernst & Young.
Matritech Inc. (Newton, Mass.), from Andersen to PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Medallion Financial Corp. (New York), from Andersen to PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Micropac Industries Inc. (Garland, Texas), from Andersen to KPMG.
Novatel Wireless Inc. (San Diego), from Andersen to KPMG.
OfficeMax Inc. (Shaker Heights, Ohio), from PricewaterhouseCoopers to KPMG.
Proteo Inc. (Costa Mesa, Calif.), from Stonefield Josephson to Squar, Milner, Reehl & Williamson.
Radiant Systems Inc. (Alpharetta, Ga.), from Andersen to Deloitte & Touche.
Eleven Salomon Smith Barney Inc. Funds (New York), from PricewaterhouseCoopers to KPMG.
SL Industries Inc. (Mount Laurel, N.J.), from Andersen to Grant Thornton.
SSP Solutions Inc. (Irvine, Calif.), from KPMG to Haskel & White.
Sonic Innovations Inc. (Salt Lake City), from Andersen to KPMG.
Stronghold Technologies Inc. (Hasbrouck Heights, N.J.), from
Rogoff & Co. to Rothstein Kass & Co.
Telebyte Inc. (Greenlawn, N.Y.), from Grant Thornton to Holtz Rubenstein & Co.
Ultralife Batteries Inc. (Newark, N.Y.), from Andersen to PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Venture Lending & Leasing Inc. (San Jose, Calif.), from Andersen to Deloitte & Touche.
Video Network Communications Inc. (Portsmouth, N.H.), from Ernst & Young to Deloitte & Touche.
