I live in Gahanna, Ohio, Jefferson Township. We have Aeration Treatment Systems for which we pay $50 yearly to Fanklin County for a permit to operate this type of sewer treatment. Franklin will send out an Inspector during the year to check everything over and file a report. We get mailed a copy of the report as well in case anything needs addressed. I have received this years inspection report perfomed on September 18.2017. However, only just received the statement from Franklin County for the permit. RE: NOTICE-PAYMENT PAST DUE. Imagine how that makes this taxpayer feel? For thirteen years I have been receiving and paying promptly. This year something happened in their process and I am treated like some kind of a deadbeat by each person I speak to and told there is no possible way to remove the late fee and put my file back to it's good standing. I had to leave a voicemail with each of the three people I was directed to as they do not pick up their phones. Still waiting on number three. The first person, Jessica Arnold, told me there is no way to take off the charge at this point. "I would have to prove they did not send out the mass mailing and now I am showing unpaid. When I got irrate with her brush off response, she stated was not going to continue my phone call if I continued to speak to her that way.
Operator transferred me to Nathan. I do not have his last name but we had spoken in 2014 on another issue. That is from my files kept. He gave me the same run-a-round answer. Unfortunately, we do a mass mailing and do not keep copies of these so again I would have to prove they did not mail or the Postal Service did not deliver their invoice for the permit. We connot remove the $12.50 late fee and will put a lein on your property etc. You have got to be kidding me, instead of calling when you saw my account not paid for the first time in thirteen years, or sending a reminder mass-mailing, several county paid employees are going to do all of this? He then transferred me to Jeff Gibbs at 614-525-4148. I had to leave another voicemail. I realize their has to be a way to enforce payment of delinquent accounts. However, to be sure that there has not been a mistake, or there has been a glitch in the process, there has to be a way to notify the unsuspecting taxpayer before slapping on a "late fee" that is irreversable? Especially when there has been no previous event in the taxpayers file showing lack of payment. The way in which I was treated from Jessica Arnold was inexcusable to me and was repeated on up the chain.
Robert
Irvine,#2Consumer Comment
Thu, October 19, 2017
This isn't your first lap around the track. You stated that this is a YEARLY fee that you have paid EVERY year for THIRTEEN years. One would figure that this fee would also be around the same time of the year, probably even down to the same exact date(give or take due to it falling on a weekend).
So now even though you know this fee comes up YEARLY, you are all of the sudden some "unsuspecting" victim where it is the County's responsibility to "remind" you if you forgot to pay?
Let me guess, you are just too busy to be bothered with something as small as $50 yearly fee, and since they are employees of the County it is their responsibility to follow up with every permit holder...right?
No I really do get it. It is impossible for you to have accidentally received the letter and thrown it away, it has to be something they did. So what you want is them to "Cut you a Break", because you did exactly what you were supposed to do for the last 13 years...pay this permit fee. Perhaps you feel that each year of a good payment should get you 1 courtesy call. Where they should have attempted to contact you 13 times before they assessed the late fee.
You of course will probably throw out the "Well if I am ever late on my (insert bill here) they waive the late fee". But here is the difference...even if every other company in the world did this did great..but they are under no obligation to.
Good luck and perhaps after another several hours on the phone, writing to everyone you can think of, complaining all over the Internet you MAY get them to forgive the $12.50. After all it is all about the principal..right? And I am sure if you did get it removed, you will be beaming from ear to ear about how smart you were and it was worth it and how no one can push you around.
By the way I am sure when you go to your attorney, they will inform you that in cases of a "mass mailing" in general they don't have to prove that your specific letter went out, just the batch. The presumption with the court is after that the letter made it to the US Mail it was delivered. I am sure your attorney will also bring up the fact that this is a yearly fee that you knew about and that does play into your responsibility.
#3Author of original report
Thu, October 19, 2017
I left another voicemail for the Department Manager, Jeff Grubbs. He did not pick up. At this point , I decided to drive to their downtown Columbus office and pay in person my usual $50 permit fee. Not the tacked on $12.50. Afetr a ten minute wait, Jeff Grubbs comes out from back offices with a girl and man trailing. They wee not introduced nor did they introduce themselves. I had to assume were Jessica and Nathan. Jeff asked do I want to talk about this? I dont appreciate how you spoke to my employees.
Really, after being spoken to by Jessica like I was some sort of idiot that would believe there is no way to remove a false charge from my invoice once it is put on automatically. Nor was there any possibility that some error had occured in the pipeline resulting in me not getting my usual mass mailing.. I stated that was horseshit, and now she is so distraught that you want to make this about her? I am sure she has heard bigger words than that in her young lifetime.
Rather than admit something happened, let us take care of this with a keystroke for you.....we are going to make this about trumped up accusations of verbal abuse? Typical.
I stated I was paying my usual $50 , no late fee. Go ahead and put a lein for $12.50 on my property, I am not moving. does not matter . Jeff put my check and paperwork on the desk and walked away. I stated I wanted a signed receipt of my payment before I leave. Jessica processed my check of which i made copies of all at home and gave me a receipt.
Let us see what happens. I am getting with the reporting sites to alert of this County scam. Will also speak with my attorney. I was spoken to like I was an idiot and would believe there is nothing in place to make corrections when they make mistakes.