Browse archives: 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995

Published on 01/13/1997 All articles from this issue

County sends refunds after overcharging for high school bond measure

printer friendly version

By Linda Taaffe

Special to the Town Crier

The Santa Clara County Controller's Office sent out tax refunds this week to property owners living in the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District who were overcharged this tax year.

Santa Clara County Controller Scott Johnson said 26,442 property owners will receive reimbursements ranging from just over $1 to $18,000. Refund amounts are based on the difference between the incorrect tax amount and the correctly computed tax rate multiplied by the net full cash value shown on this year's secured property tax bill, he said.

Johnson said the school district decided a cash refund would be in the best interest of the residents and asked the Controller's Office to send reimbursements to property owners.

"Taxpayers have been pretty understanding," Johnson said. "I've spent a week on the phone explaining (the error) to about 70 or 75 taxpayers.

"Only one person wanted an immediate refund."

Residents paid $49.40 per $100,000 assessed value on their property instead of $29.60 because the Controller's Office made an accounting error while computing the general obligation bond.

The obligation bond is part of the $58 million bond used for renovations for Mountain View and Los Altos high schools.

The county did not calculate the $2.2 million collected the previous year as being paid, so the Controller's Office miscalculated the bond rate at a higher rate, Johnson said.

By the time district employees discovered the error in October, property owners had already started making tax payments, so the county couldn't recalculate the rates.

Johnson said taxpayers are still obligated to pay the full amount of any unpaid tax bills for their property by the April 10, 1997 delinquency date.

"Legally, taxpayers need to pay what's on their bill," Johnson said. "We don't want anyone to be considered delinquent on their tax bill."

The 26,442 property owners within the district who bought, sold or plan to sell their property between July 1, 1996 and June 30, 1997, should disclose this refund to their title company so it can be properly prorated, Johnson said.

For more information, call the County Tax Collector's Office at (408) 299-2241.