Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Property Tax Notices topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Peerless residents say tax notices didn’t arrive; treasurer says bills were mailed, county weighs options
Summary
Residents of Peerless told Daniels County commissioners they didn’t receive property tax notices; Treasurer Julie said bills were mailed Oct. 27 and that state law limits the county’s ability to waive penalties. Commissioners asked staff to quantify affected amounts and will consider next steps.
A Peerless resident told the Daniels County Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 21 that many people in the small community did not receive their property tax notices this year, prompting calls for the county to waive penalties and interest.
"A lot of folks in Peerless did not receive their property tax notices this year," the resident said, asking the board to relieve penalties for people who missed the payment deadline because they were unaware of amounts and due dates.
Treasurer Julie responded that the office mailed tax bills on Oct. 27 as usual and followed state notice requirements, and that staff re-mailed bills to individuals who called. Julie said she had posted delinquency notices and used the newspaper as required. She also warned the board that state statute constrains the treasurer’s authority to forgive penalties and interest because portions of those funds are remitted to state accounts.
Julie told commissioners she had begun running reports to calculate how many Peerless addresses were affected and what the total of penalties already collected would be. In the meeting she reported a preliminary tally of four residents whose late payments had already generated $107.30 in penalties and interest; additional accounts with Peerless mailing addresses remained delinquent. She said she had re-sent bills when contacted and that the post office and treasurer’s office offer differing accounts of where the mailing broke down.
Resident speakers and commissioners asked whether the county could cover the small penalties as a one-time postal error and whether the treasurer could issue refunds. Julie said she had consulted a state tax official, who advised that she lacked statutory authority to unilaterally waive penalties that must be apportioned to state funds; doing so could violate reporting rules. Commissioners asked Julie to run a more complete report and estimate the cost of refunds if the board chose to make a county-funded adjustment.
The board asked staff to prepare a precise report of affected properties and dollar amounts so members could decide whether to pursue refunds or other remedies. The treasurer said she had already re-mailed notices to residents who contacted her and recommended pursuing coordination with the post office to prevent recurrence.
Next steps: the treasurer will return with a report on the exact number of affected Peerless properties and the total penalty amount; commissioners signaled interest in finding a one-time solution if it is administratively and legally feasible.
