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Spidey 
Group: Members
Posts: 1775
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Jul. 12 2004,11:35 am |
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Is it really necessary to receive money back when you pay too much for your real-estate taxes? According to some officials, it may depend on how much that overpayment is.
Freeborn County Auditor/Treasurer Dennis Distad asked for the board to conduct a hearing to consider allowing his department to retain money from overpayments. Instead of cutting a check, they would keep the money in the county revenue fund. The maximum amount held would be $20. Any amount over $20 would be returned to the property owner.
So far this year, the department has had 18 overpayments from $1.92 to $20, the total number of dollars this year was $446.
"The cutting of a check far exceeds the benefit," said County Administrator Ron Gabrielsen, who estimated the average cost of cutting a check is about $11 including time involved for research, and bringing the issue before the board for approval.
Commissioner Dan Belshan said if the board was to implement such a policy, he would rather see it be under $10.
He questioned the actual cost for mailings. And, later, he said people should receive the money back or be credited for the overpayment in their next bill.
"I don't think we should even consider this," he said.
Belshan said a hearing is unnecessary and by holding one, the county would be spending money through staff time and publication cost for the hearing.
"This is wasting valuable staff time ... three commissioners won't vote for this anyway," he said.
But Commissioner Behrends said it was valuable to hold a hearing, just to make a decision on the matter.
"We vote it up or down and then it's done," he said.
If an overpayment policy is adopted, it will likely go into effect in August.
The board voted to hold a hearing at the next meeting, with Belshan and Commissioner Springborg dissenting.
My question is ... why are there over charges or payments? These amounts are set well in advance, so I don't get it. Why not let them apply the credit to their next payment? Federal and State do this all the time with payroll. $20.00 or less would be feasible I would think.
I also agree that they need to hold a hearing to make a decision about money. Wouldn't want them to just make secret decisions all on their own ... gotta make it legal. I'm surprised this hasn't been resolved a long time ago.
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| Post Number: 2
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Liberal
Group: Moderator
Posts: 11451
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Jul. 12 2004,11:56 am |
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| Quote |
Freeborn County Auditor/Treasurer Dennis Distad asked for the board to conduct a hearing to consider allowing his department to retain money from overpayments. Instead of cutting a check, they would keep the money in the county revenue fund.
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Do you think if Distad overpaid his phone bill $20 he'd expect the money back?
If you overcharge somebody or they overpay you and you keep the money that's no different then stealing as far as I'm concerned. And like Belshan said there is no need for a hearing they should have just voted right then to cut everyone that overpaid a check or put it towards their next years taxes.
To hold a hearing will only increase that insane number they quoted to write a check. How can it cost the county $11 to cut a check. That's complete insanity and another example of when the commissioners should have asked him for some proof.
| Quote |
So far this year, the department has had 18 overpayments from $1.92 to $20, the total number of dollars this year was $446.
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If you take the highest amount overpaid($20) and multiply it by the number of overpayments (18) you only come up with $360, but, Distad said the total is $446. The math doesn't work out.
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The people are masters of both Congress and courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert it!
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| Post Number: 3
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Ole1kanobe
Group: Members
Posts: 1360
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Jul. 12 2004,12:56 pm |
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Again, this County will make a buck at all costs, even if it means stealing from the very tax base that already supports this County.
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The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.
-Albert Einstein-
Some of what is said here (myself included) is about as tolerable as listening to someone vacuum a cat.
-nphilbro-
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| Post Number: 4
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hoosier
Group: Members
Posts: 1476
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Jul. 12 2004,1:19 pm |
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Lets everyone under pay your bill by 20 bucks and see if the county thinks its to much of a hassle ot deal with.
I cannot seriously believe that anyone in government would even consider this. I agree with Dan Belshan. No need for a meeting on this, people over pay, its not the counties money, give it back.
If Gabrielsan says it costs 11 dollars to do the paperwork, at the very least that should be the cut off point. At least the county breaks even.
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The power of accurate obsvervation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.
George Bernard Shaw
The devil begins with froth on the lips of an angel entering into battle for a holy and just cause. Grigory Pomerants
We have crossed the boundary that lies between Republic and Empire. Garet Garrett
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| Post Number: 5
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GEOKARJO
Google This!!!
Group: Members
Posts: 7799
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Jul. 12 2004,2:42 pm |
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I don't see an envolope and stamp costing 11 bucks.... there again fixing cost to a job that an employee is going to be paid a fixed amount whether or not they send the refund or sit with their hands in their laps.
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| Post Number: 6
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danbelshan
Group: Members
Posts: 263
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Jul. 12 2004,5:20 pm |
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Here is the County's penalty for paying taxes late using May 15th first half taxes as an example.
1st half property taxes must be postmarked or paid by May 15 to not receive the % penalty listed below
Postmarked or received May 16 to May 31
Homestead property 3%
Nonhomestead property 4%
Paid June 1st to June 30
Homestead property 4%
Nonhomestead property 8%
Paid July 1st to July 31
Homestead property 5%
Nonhomestead property 9%
Paid August1 to August 31
Homestead property 6%
Nonhomestead property 10%
Paid Sept 1 to Sept 30
Homestead property 7%
Nonhomestead property 11%
Paid Oct 1 to Oct 31
Homestead property 8%
Nonhomestead property 12%
This is listed on the back of your tax statement
If you short the county on your taxes I believe the penalty only applies to the dollars not payed on time but I haven't confirmed that yet with our auditor.
Before the public hearing to get input if the public wants this fee or not, I will make sure the people that overpaid are notified.
Do you think they'll want to donate to the county or get all the overpayment back?
Spending time on trivial items like this divert thinking about the real issues like sharing resources with the city and how will we pay for all the new staff being hired.
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Go to danbelshan.com for my newsletters.
Go to Dan Belshan on facebook to get the latest.
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| Post Number: 7
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Ole1kanobe
Group: Members
Posts: 1360
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Jul. 12 2004,7:37 pm |
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Let's put it this way, the supporters of and the vote on this issue should prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, exactly who we need to get rid of in the County, unless the citizens really want to be lead and represented by common thieves.
Sure it may only be $20, but like Hoosier said,
| Quote | | Lets everyone under pay your bill by 20 bucks and see if the county thinks its to much of a hassle ot deal with. |
What's good for the goose is good for the gander, right?
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The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.
-Albert Einstein-
Some of what is said here (myself included) is about as tolerable as listening to someone vacuum a cat.
-nphilbro-
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| Post Number: 8
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spike
Group: Members
Posts: 289
Joined: Jun. 2004
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Posted on: Jul. 12 2004,7:58 pm |
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A few years ago when I was managing a large office, we wanted to determine the cost we bore whenever a credit was issued to a customer.
I won't get into all the details, but we came up with of figure of around $5. We had to figure in these costs:
-the original phone call charges from the customer on our 800 number (5-15 minute phone call)
-the wage paid to the person taking the call (5-15 minutes)
-the wage paid to the supervisor to approve the credit (5-10 minutes)
-the wage paid to the accounts receivable person processing the credit (5-10 minutes)
-the postage to mail out a credit memo
It is a little more involved then writing a check, putting it into an envelope & affixing a stamp but it certainly can't cost the county close to $11 to process each refund.
Unfortunately, it probably will and that is the whole point. Gov't has grown way too big to do anything efficiently.
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| Post Number: 9
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The Rocket
Group: Members
Posts: 23
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Jul. 12 2004,8:32 pm |
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I can't believe in todays computerized world that the credit can not be applied to the next payment. If there is no other payment due for some reason then deal with it. As long as we are talking about collecting taxes. Would anyone be in favor of monthly bill pays so those of us on fixed incomes could budget the money easier.
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| Post Number: 10
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hoosier
Group: Members
Posts: 1476
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Jul. 13 2004,8:58 am |
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Rocket, agreed. I cant believe it would cost 11 bucks to credit the refund on the next bill.
But the whole point here I think is that we seem to have a political climate here in Freeborn County that the politicians seem to imbrace. And that is that doing what is right by the people that elect you is just to damn hard.
Its to hard to give people back money that they over paid?
A city council memeber complains about letting the public talk to much at meetings because in his words, "Our meetings last to long the way it is."
Where do we find these people? They arent the ones we elected, are they?
GIVE THE MONEY BACK! PERIOD! If it costs 20 bucks to give back 20 bucks, then just do it.
To the city council member or any local board or council member. The second you start thinking that the meetings are to long, you have overstayed your welcome. Its time to hang it up and let someone else do the job.
Doing what is right and fair is hard work. If its to hard to give money back or allow people to participate in their own government, its time we elect some new people that dont want to take the easy way out all the time. 
Dan, thanks for the info, keep up the good work.
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The power of accurate obsvervation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.
George Bernard Shaw
The devil begins with froth on the lips of an angel entering into battle for a holy and just cause. Grigory Pomerants
We have crossed the boundary that lies between Republic and Empire. Garet Garrett
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