New Bedford tax payments inadvertently shredded

[disorderlyvision]

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090805/NEWS/308059966


NEW BEDFORD — About 300 city residents will have to resend their property tax payments after their checks were shredded inadvertently earlier this week before they were deposited.

"It makes me extremely perturbed," said Mayor Scott W. Lang of the situation, which he learned about midday Tuesday.

The accident happened at some point either late Monday or early Tuesday during the mad rush of check submissions to make Monday's tax deadline, according to Lang.

A clerk in the city's treasurer/collector's office mistakenly picked up a stack of checks that had been recorded — but not deposited — and fed them through a shredder, said Lang.

The collector's office has a record of all 300 or so residents who were affected, and a letter will be sent to those people explaining the situation, he said.

Those taxpayers will have another month to resend their property taxes and will not face any late fees or penalties.

[angelatc]

A clerk in the city's treasurer/collector's office mistakenly picked up a stack of checks that had been recorded — but not deposited — and fed them through a shredder, said Lang.


No wonder the clerk is a government employee. Sounds like the reporter qualifies, too. If the checks had been deposited, they would be at the bank. Duh.

[acptulsa]

Salary of bureaucrat who shredded checks: $50K per year.

Cost of contacting taxpayers to apologize and ask for another check--and reassure them that they won't be hit with late penalties: About $100K.

Knowing your constituents are reassured that their government is competent and working hard for them: Priceless.

[youngbuck]

Those taxpayers will have another month to resend their property taxes and will not face any late fees or penalties.

Aww, how nice of them. We should all send them thank you letters.