ANDERSON, Ind. — Ralph Wellons got a grand surprise when his tax bill arrived in the mail. Grand — as in $1,000.
Wellons, who lives in Redbud Estates’ Camelot development southwest of 38th Street and Raible Avenue, got a property tax bill saying he owed $1,400. He’s paid about $400 in past years.
“I just couldn’t understand what’s going on. ... I’ve worked all my life for that and I don’t want somebody taking what doesn’t belong to them,” said Wellons, 83, who retired from Delco Remy after 34 years as a tool-and-die maker.
Wellons’ homestead exemption had been dropped from his tax bill, as had his senior-citizen exemption. Without those deductions, his tax bill went up more than 298 percent. He said some of his neighbors saw similar problems when their tax bills came, but others didn’t.
“It throws up a flag,” he said. “I don’t get everything, and I’m not that smart and I’m no attorney or anything,” he said, “but a thousand dollars?”
He was among hundreds of residents of Redbud Estates who received tax bills that were far higher than they should have been. Redbud Estates office manager David Porter said he was informed by a county office after tax bills came out that a glitch in the software for taxes on manufactured homes was to blame.
“What we did in our park was put out a one-page flier that said have your bill checked before you pay it,” Porter said. But not everyone got the message in time.
“People have come in and said they already paid it,” he said. He’s encouraged people who have paid inflated tax bills to contact the county to inquire about a refund. People who have paid bills that didn’t include exemptions they are entitled to can contact the Madison County auditor’s office to request a refund.
Robin Wagner, who works in the exemptions department of the auditor’s office, described the process for people who have problems with their tax bills. “It would boil down to what kind of problem,” she said.
“If there’s a problem with the assessment, they need to call the assessor’s office. ... If they think they’re missing exemptions, they need to contact our office.”
Some problems can be resolved with a single visit, but appeals of assessed value can take longer.
Wellons went to the auditor’s office at the Madison County Government Center, and the problem with his tax bill was fixed. It was adjusted to his satisfaction — less than $10 different from what he was accustomed to paying.
“If I hadn’t gone up there and said something, I would have been forced to pay it plus the delinquency bill,” he said. “I don’t like to get charged a delinquency on something I don’t owe.”
Contact Dave Stafford: 648-4250, dave.stafford@heraldbulletin.com
Breaking News
Related Photos
-
John P. Cleary
Related Links
Discussion
County fixes error on missed exemptions
One man's bill rises from $400 to $1,400
- Breaking News
-
-
Family plucked from Pacific after boat capsizes
Three family members attempting their first voyage across the Pacific in a sailboat were left adrift in rough seas hundreds of miles from land when their mast broke in high winds.
-
Police report human remains in Grant County
Human remains were uncovered by police Thursday morning in Grant County.
-
FBI file: Steve Jobs was considered for government post
FBI background interviews of some people who knew Apple founder Steve Jobs reveal a man so driven by power that he sometimes lost sight of honesty.
-
Florida mogul, facing trial, adopts his girlfriend
The story already had people's attention: A multimillionaire polo magnate was accused of causing a drunken-driving wreck that killed a young man. But now, with his criminal trial approaching, a strange twist has raised even more eyebrows: He has adopted his 42-year-old girlfriend.
-
Emergency exercise preceded Ind. fair disaster
High winds. Lightning. Hail. A severe thunderstorm warning. A huge crowd waits for country duo Sugarland to take the stage.
That exact scenario ahead of last summer's deadly stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair was eerily foreshadowed just a month earlier during an emergency exercise that involved the fair's director and numerous city and state officials.
-
Tribe suing beer companies for alcohol problems
An American Indian tribe sued some of the world's largest beer makers Thursday, claiming they knowingly contributed to devastating alcohol-related problems on South Dakota's Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
-
LA school in sex abuse scandal reopens
Children returned Thursday to an elementary school where the entire staff was replaced after the arrests of two former teachers on charges of committing lewd acts with students in class.
-
Official: States get No Child Left Behind waiver
President Barack Obama on Thursday will free 10 states from the strict and sweeping requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, giving leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students, The Associated Press has learned.
-
Sources: Pentagon rules shift on women in combat
Pentagon rules are catching up a bit with reality after a decade when women in the U.S. military have served, fought and died on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan.
-
Markets buoyed by news of Greek debt deal
Stock markets extended gains and the euro struck a two-month high against the dollar Thursday after the Greek Prime Minister's office said a deal has been struck with coalition parties on new cuts that are necessary for the country to get crucial bailout funds.
- More Breaking News Headlines
-
Family plucked from Pacific after boat capsizes
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
Nevada Highway Patrol, City Settle Beating Case
Homs Bombardment Continues, Global Outcry Grows
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
