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The NYC Dept of Finance robbed me and there is nothing I can do about it.

Phonzo

Phonzo

Member
Oct 26, 2017
4,817
So last Monday I received my property tax bill, and I noticed an extra charge call "unpaid charges" to the amount of $730. NEVER in my 20 years of living in this house have I had an unpaid balance. So I go to their website to see what this is, and I quickly find out that they "discovered" new charges back in 2001 that they apparently didn't charge me for, and now I have to pay for it. But here is the kicker. The missing charge is for roughly $104. But since it went unpaid for 18years they add interest on top of that, so that amount comes out to the $730 it is now. Can you believe this? I am paying interest for THEIR mistake.

I quickly open up a case on their website. Say it will take up to 10days for a response. But I was still fuming so I went to their office the next day on Tuesday, and yes I got the chance to speak to the rudest worst representative they have, and the short version he gave me is "there is nothing we can do about it", gave me a form to submit to the taxpayers advocate, which I filled out and submitted as well. There is no way of contacting them through phone or in person, and you just have to hope that they get back to you. Till today I still haven't gotten a response from either the case I opened online with the DOF, nor the taxpayers advocate.

In the time between these events I have submitted my check to pay for just this Quarters tax bill. Guess what, they split my check up to pay for the unpaid charges and the remaining to cover this Quarters tax bill, so I still have a balance for this quarter. I look on their website again, and the history for the 2001 charges are no longer listed.

The NYC DOF essentially robbed me, and there is no one I can go to. Anything short of getting legal representation will cost me more than my bogus charges.

Fuck I had to vent.
 
whatsinaname

whatsinaname

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,061
Damn, sounds like a shitty situation.

(tbh, practically, best to pay it off and fight for a refund. No point in letting it go to some automatic lien or collections if they rule against you.)
 
Culex

Culex

Banned
Oct 29, 2017
6,844
I would seriously go to the news for this one. It's actually a story a lot of local stations would love to run.
 
Stinkles

Stinkles

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
20,459
Social media. Somebody at the Post or Times might see it and somebody at the comptroller's office might get leaned on to make it go away. Put a picture of a cute baby who's gonna be ruined by it.
 
TransEuropaExpress

TransEuropaExpress

Member
Dec 6, 2017
10,989
US
Stinkles said:
Social media. Somebody at the Post or Times might see it and somebody at the comptroller's office might get leaned on to make it go away. Put a picture of a cute baby who's gonna be ruined by it.
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They'll just follow it up with a story of the baby pulling itself up by its bootstraps having to get three full time jobs or some shit.
 
Mr. X

Mr. X

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,495
You might have more options OP. Supreme Court in Brooklyn has a help center and there's a pro-bono list (somewhere) and of course, people to talk with.
 
Blackage

Blackage

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,182
Yeah you got fucked over OP.

I've heard of the city waiving interest rates on exceptionally old bills like this(So you would only have to pay that old $104), but that would have required a lawyer.

Now that they've essentially taken your money for the new bill getting it back would be 5x harder.

Either case would require a lawyer.
 
Freakzilla

Freakzilla

Banned
Oct 31, 2017
5,710
User Warned: Trolling
It's only 730 dollars. Some people can't even afford a roof over their head.
 
King_Moc

King_Moc

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,126
That's disgraceful. Is there a complaints process that goes to a different team you could use?

Freakzilla said:
It's only 730 dollars. Some people can't even afford a roof over their head.
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What's your point? Are you suggesting everyone with a home should allow anybody to rip them off as "hey, still got a house, right?".
 
Freakzilla

Freakzilla

Banned
Oct 31, 2017
5,710
King_Moc said:
That's disgraceful. Is there a complaints process that goes to a different team tou could use?



What's your point? Are you suggesting everyone with a home should allow anybody to rip them off as "hey, still got a house, right?".
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It's not anybody. It's the city. We all get screwed over one way or another.
 
zma1013

zma1013

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,685
In situations like this I always keep asking to talk to a supervisor. If that person doesn't help me, I ask for that supervisors supervisor. If they don't help me I go up the chain once more and eventually I get to someone who doesn't want to bother with it and just fixes the mistake right there.

Although usually I only deal with like retailer account mistakes so I dunno if it would work for you but it's something to try i guess.
 
OP
OP
Phonzo

Phonzo

Member
Oct 26, 2017
4,817
zma1013 said:
In situations like this I always keep asking to talk to a supervisor. If that person doesn't help me, I ask for that supervisors supervisor. If they don't help me I go up the chain once more and eventually I get to someone who doesn't want to bother with it and just fixes the mistake right there.

Although usually I only deal with like retailer account mistakes so I dunno if it would work for you but it's something to try i guess.
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Usually it works on retailers

But city/ government workers dont give a fuck
 
sphagnum

sphagnum

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
16,058
If you're in AOC's district, try complaining to her for the potential Twitter presence? Otherwise maybe try to contact whoever your rep is for general help.
 
OP
OP
Phonzo

Phonzo

Member
Oct 26, 2017
4,817
sphagnum said:
If you're in AOC's district, try complaining to her for the potential Twitter presence? Otherwise maybe try to contact whoever your rep is for general help.
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Good advice. i just emailed my district city council. As well as emailed Pix news, and ABC investigators. Beyond doing that i dont feel the effort of getting legal rep or opening supreme court cases is there for the charges. I just want it to go away at this point. Im just very fearful that new charges can just pop up whenever they feel like it. Like what if in 2 year they "find" something i stil owe in 2003 and charge me again. This ordeal just makes me fel unsafe despite doing the right thing. i never carry a balance on any credit cards, no debt, and still they can find ways to fuck me over.
 

Vinnie20

Banned
Dec 23, 2018
450
zma1013 said:
In situations like this I always keep asking to talk to a supervisor. If that person doesn't help me, I ask for that supervisors supervisor. If they don't help me I go up the chain once more and eventually I get to someone who doesn't want to bother with it and just fixes the mistake right there.

Although usually I only deal with like retailer account mistakes so I dunno if it would work for you but it's something to try i guess.
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Yeah "talking to supervisor" usually work on companies that have competitions. It doesn't even work on utility company that well.
 

The Llama

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,026
Phonzo said:
Wow my city council wrote back to me for info and said his people will contact me.
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You beat me to it, but I was going to suggest writing to your Councilmembers and even the Mayor. People often forget this kinda stuff but it's part of what these people are elected to do! (I work in city government elsewhere.)
 
Mr. X

Mr. X

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,495
Phonzo said:
Good advice. i just emailed my district city council. As well as emailed Pix news, and ABC investigators. Beyond doing that i dont feel the effort of getting legal rep or opening supreme court cases is there for the charges. I just want it to go away at this point. Im just very fearful that new charges can just pop up whenever they feel like it. Like what if in 2 year they "find" something i stil owe in 2003 and charge me again. This ordeal just makes me fel unsafe despite doing the right thing. i never carry a balance on any credit cards, no debt, and still they can find ways to fuck me over.
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People call the Supreme Court here in Brooklyn and ask way worse question than you would. Mention that it's dof saying they recently found something unpaid that you didn't know about and are charging you interest for all the years they didn't know about it. You don't have to act on whatever options they say you have to fight it.
 
OP
OP
Phonzo

Phonzo

Member
Oct 26, 2017
4,817
The Llama said:
You beat me to it, but I was going to suggest writing to your Councilmembers and even the Mayor. People often forget this kinda stuff but it's part of what these people are elected to do! (I work in city government elsewhere.)
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yup, we spoke and he asked me to submit documentation which i just did.

Thanks all for the advice in this thread.
 
Menelaus

Menelaus

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
3,682
I have a very hard time believing the local media of one of the richest and biggest metros in the world will take notice of a $700 problem. You'll likely have to fight this one without the help of the local news, OP.
 
Carthago Delenda Est

Carthago Delenda Est

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
6,119
You need to appeal this. It sounds like you might already have done so, but call the office again and ask how to appeal. Eventually you'll be able to talk to an attorney in that division and they'll probably happily settle this where you don't pay any of the interest (just the $108 charge you presumably actually owed).
 
OP
OP
Phonzo

Phonzo

Member
Oct 26, 2017
4,817
Kevtones said:
Document EVERYTHING. Screen grab, photo copies, all of it.

Then go to the news.
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i was able to screen grab the summary pages last week. i am however kicking myself that i didnt screen grab the detailed view. it shows the exact date of 5/19/2019 when they added these charges into my 2001 account charge.
 
siteseer

siteseer

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,048
not even remotely the same quantity as your bill op, but the ny dmv wrote the wrong address for my car reg and when i noticed it and pointed it out to the cs person, they charged me the $3 or whatever and refused to change it unless i paid up even though it was their mistake.
 
OP
OP
Phonzo

Phonzo

Member
Oct 26, 2017
4,817
siteseer said:
not even remotely the same quantity as your bill op, but the ny dmv wrote the wrong address for my car reg and when i noticed it and pointed it out to the cs person, they charged me the $3 or whatever and refused to change it unless i paid up even though it was their mistake.
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I hate how their is barely and checks on city workers.
 
Sofa

Sofa

Member
Dec 15, 2018
23
They can collect tax after 18 years? There is not a limitation period in the US?
 
OP
OP
Phonzo

Phonzo

Member
Oct 26, 2017
4,817
Sofa said:
They can collect tax after 18 years? There is not a limitation period in the US?
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more crazy facts for you to consider in my situation here.

1. i wasn't even the legal owner of the house 18years ago. my parents were
2. my prop tax was paid by an escrow account by the bank when we had a mortgage
3. they actually owe me over a hundred dollars due to overpayment. But because its over 6years old i cannot get a refund on it. That over payment was back in 2001. So what they did count it as an over payment, not refund me, and then somehow what my over payment was suppose to apply to, now becomes a charge for what it is today.

Thieves in plain site.
 
CrocM

CrocM

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,620
If they are doing this to you, they are doing it to thousands of other people as well. Good on you for reporting it!
 
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