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Homeowner says veteran abatement error left her owing $5,391.74; commission agrees to amended payoff plan
Summary
Holly Charlton told the commission her property retained a prior owner's veteran abatement and she now faces a $5,391.74 back-tax bill; auditors and the treasurer acknowledged an administrative error and commissioners agreed to waive 2023 and create an agreement to pay the remaining balance in a short-term plan.
Homeowner Holly Charlton said she discovered a veteran's-disability tax abatement carried over from a prior owner after she purchased her house; county records then showed a $5,391.74 balance covering tax years 2022–2024. Charlton said she had not received some tax notices and that mortgage-company escrow arrangements masked the problem. Auditor Charlene Larson acknowledged the county made an error in not removing the exemption after ownership changed and explained the office now checks ownership changes annually.
The treasurer provided a year-by-year breakdown and confirmed the total. Commissioners discussed options, including waiving the 2023 amount and establishing a contract for the remaining balance to be paid over four months. Charlton told the commission that removing one year would bring the amount down to roughly $3,500, which she said she could pay over an agreed period; the commission approved a motion to proceed with an agreement to address the balance and avoid immediate tax-sale action.
