County property tax problems reported

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Things appear to be moving forward in the Van Wert County Treasurer and Auditor’s offices, with both offices working to clear up problems in their respective offices, according to County Commissioner Todd Wolfrum.

“The auditor and treasurer have both related to us that they are working together at this point to resolve the issues and straighten out what has happened,” Wolfrum said on Thursday afternoon.

In addition, the commissioners have contracted with an outside accountant to audit the Treasurer’s Office’s books. That should take place sometime in the next week or two, Wolfrum said, noting his understanding that the audit will look at the office’s finances from September 1, 2018, up to a few weeks ago.

Wolfrum also said former county auditor Nancy Dixon had called the commissioners to clarify the current problem in reconcilement. According to Dixon, the reconciliation problem is not between the Auditor’s and Treasurer’s offices, but between the Treasurer’s Office and the bank, with figures from that office apparently not matching the amount of money shown in the bank.

However, in addition to reconcilement problems, there are also reports that some county property owners have not been credited for real estate taxes they have paid, while other property owners who sold a portion of a larger parcel of land in the past year are still being taxed on the sold property.

Taxpayers who want to double check that they are being properly credited for taxes they have paid can do so by accessing the auditor’s website at www.co.vanwert.oh.us and then going to the “Quick Links” menu and clicking “Real Estate Inquiry”.

Tax records can then be obtained by owner’s name, address, or parcel number. Click on the parcel to be researched and any amount due from either semi-annual tax payment will appear there. For more payment information, click on “payments” to the right of the line showing amounts due. In the payments area, there should be a credit shown and no amount owing if taxes have been properly credited.

Anyone finding a discrepancy between what they have paid and what is shown should either call the Treasurer’s Office at 419.238.5177 or stop in at that office on the second floor of the Van Wert County Courthouse.