Resident urges county to review 50% personal property tax penalty after assessor stopped mailing filings
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Summary
At the Nov. 26 Klamath County commissioners meeting, Bill Adams criticized the assessor's office after receiving a 50% penalty for not filing a personal-property tax return he said he did not receive notice to file; he said he has appealed and described prior difficulties getting corrections processed.
Bill Adams told the Klamath County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 26 that he received a 50% penalty for failing to file a required personal-property tax return after the assessor’s office stopped mailing return notices.
"There's a 50% penalty on there for not filing that paperwork," Adams said, adding he filed an appeal and has had prior problems with the assessor's office correcting returns. He told the board he had called staff after a building fire last year and later received $1,000 in a correction that will be paid in December.
Adams said the county's change in practice — not sending the prior return-notice mailings — made it difficult to know a filing was required and called the penalty “pretty harsh” in that context. He said he discussed the issue with Werner Rasche, who told him some rules fall under state authority and that the matter would be looked at.
Chair Dave Hensley said the issue is scheduled for a meeting next week and invited Adams to follow up with staff. The board did not act on the matter at the Nov. 26 session; Adams said he had filed an appeal.
