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Glynn County denies homeowner's tax-refund request after mortgage-company payments covered multiple parcels
Summary
The county denied a $2,188.11 refund request from Marie Hedgeman for four parcels after tax office records showed Shellpoint Mortgages paid the parcels electronically; the tax office said it followed standard third-party vendor refund procedures and found no negligence.
Glynn County commissioners on Aug. 7 denied a request from Marie Hedgeman for a $2,188.11 refund of property taxes covering four parcels, after the county's tax office said the payments were made electronically by a mortgage company and handled through third-party vendors.
Alice Everett of the Office of the Tax Commissioner explained to the committee that county records show an electronic payment for the four parcels was posted on Nov. 1, 2022 by Shellpoint Mortgages and that the county's electronic-payment process uses third-party vendors (identified in the transcript as CoreLogic and a second vendor transcribed as "Marita"). Everett said the county receives an electronic file that lists parcel numbers, payment amounts and the mortgage company, and that when duplicate or already-paid parcels are detected a refund check is cut and mailed to the vendor so the vendor can return funds to the mortgage company. "The Office of the Tax Commission wasn't negligent in the performance of the duties. Basically, her bank paid 4 parcels, only 1 was hers," Everett said.
Why it matters: Hedgeman told the county she paid four parcels but only owns one. The tax office said it has no way of determining the owner of the bank account that initiated the electronic payment and followed established procedures for refunds to third-party vendors when overpayments are detected.
Key facts: the refund request listed four parcel numbers and addresses in the meeting record: 03-08581 (3807 Emmanuel Avenue), 03-08580 (3805 Emmanuel Avenue), 03-08579 (3803 Emmanuel Avenue) and 03-08578 (3801 Emmanuel Avenue). The meeting record notes that a refund had already been issued to the vendor (recorded as CoreLogic) for parcel 03-08579. A commissioner moved to deny the refund request and the motion passed by voice vote.
Clarifications and transcript discrepancies: the refund request was described in the agenda text as for tax year 2024 in the amount of $2,188.11, while the tax office's payment record referenced an electronic payment date of Nov. 1, 2022. The tax office advised Hedgeman to pursue reimbursement directly with her bank or mortgage company if she believes the payment was made in error.
Outcome: The commission denied the refund request; the transcript records the motion to deny and the vote to deny the request during general business.
