Well, that was confusing…

[fbhjr]

Every year we have to pay excise tax on our cars to the town.
I prefer to pay my bills on line. So, when we got the bills, that’s how I paid them.

A month or so went by and we got a notice from the town saying that since we hadn’t paid, we had to pay plus a penalty. It was a small penalty ($13) and I have to renew my car registration next month. So, I wrote out a paper check and sent it in with the intention of figuring out what happened to the first one later.
That way, when I go to renew next month, there won't be a "stop he didn't pay" note on my file.

About a week later we got a letter from the town saying:
"Since you didn’t pay your excise tax we’re returning the payment you made so you can pay the right amount which is $13 more."
Included were two checks, one for each car.

I find this very strange.
If they didn’t get the money, why are they returning it?
If they did get the money, why did they say we didn’t pay?

I suspect what happened as they got it electronically and whoever should have processed it, didn’t.
When they got my paper checks they went to look at my account and saw the payment there.
"We can’t accept it," I suspect they said. "Because now it’s marked late and it needs the fee.
"But, we can’t cash the check for the main amount because then the amount will be almost double what is due."

So, they returned the original and kept the paper.

I wouldn’t mind so much except for the accusations that I was negligent in paying.
If I was, they wouldn’t have money to give back…

Comments

[yesididit2.livejournal.com]

hope you can get that straightened out and get the late fees waved since you paid on time.

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

I'm going to renew the registration before I try and get money back.
If they block that, it can be a real hassle.

[chris-warrior.livejournal.com]

this feels like some sort of shakedown, honestly. poor management in town personnel, obviously, but also, wtf on demanding the damn fee when it's obvious the earlier payment was there.

i suppose it could have been a holdup in electronic transfer; sometimes it can weirdly take longer, but your bank should have a guaranteed delivery date.

[resonant.livejournal.com]

My former telephone company was set up to auto-bill my credit card each month.
They started charging me late fees anyway.
After six months, my only resolution was to cancel my service.

Harder to cancel living in a town, though.

[ravena-kade.livejournal.com]

That is weird

[newlifeinstpaul.livejournal.com]

This is when you call your congress(wo)man.

Nothing makes gubment fuckabouts shit themselves harder--or fix your THEIR problems quicker.

[chaquir.livejournal.com]

oh that's crap when things like that get messed up.
I hope you can get it sorted out

[hindustar.livejournal.com]

LOL.

I hope you can get your good name back. You shouldn't have to pay the extra 13. Seriously.

[merilune.livejournal.com]

I hope you can get that straightened out. I keep all of my email confirmations of payments made, do you have one for that transaction? I'd be flipping that in their faces :P