In 2010 and 2011, I received bills from the Santa Rosa Tax Collector for tangible tax on my business. The bills I received were raised 400% higher than the normal tax I paid every year. When I called Greg Brown's office regarding the increase, I was informed they had never received my exemption request and my taxes increased because they had increased the amount of equipment I owned. I had not added any new equipment to my business. However, the lady refused to adjust the record.
After arguing with county employees for 2 years, in October of 2012, I was able to speak to Greg Brown personally. He listened to my complaint, reviewed my history and immediately reduced the tax to what I should have owed. For 2010 the correct tangible tax I should have been charged was $23.66 and in 2011 I should have been charged $49.28.
However, instead of receiving my adjusted bill for $72.94, I received a new bill from Stan Collie Nichols for over $360. The extra charges were for two warrants Mr. Nichols had sworn out on my business and stuck to my door while I was closed so all my customers could see it.
I went down to Mr. Nichols office to discuss the inflated charges. I was told by his employee, the warrant allowed her to enter my business at any time (including breaking in if I wasn't there) and take whatever she wanted to. She also said, although I was originally overcharged, she would not take off any of the extra fees because it was money Stan Collie Nichols had spent obtaining the warrants. The employee concluded, my mistake was disputing the higher taxes‚ and added it would have been better for me just to pay them.
Does anyone else think this is absurd? How did Stan Collie Nichols go from serving the people to breaking into private property and pillaging it for his tax roles? The economy is tough enough for businesses without the tax collector trying to collect outrageous fees on taxes that were assessed in error.
Patricia Kruger
Milton, Florida
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Error in assessment creates dispute