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But a computer error in the Beaufort County Treasurer's Office -- another result of the problematic conversion to new Manatron software -- did not send his payment through the system, and Dobbert's home was mistakenly placed on the list of 3,400 properties to be auctioned at the annual county delinquent property tax sale Oct. 5.
That list was published last week in the Beaufort Gazette and Island Packet and also is available on the county Web site.
"My wife was at the neighbor's house and saw it and said, 'Wow, what's this?,' " said Dobbert, who immediately contacted his bank and the county to alert them to the problem. "No notification of non-payment was sent to me because I had paid. I've spent hours on this thing, moaning to people, calling people, asking what could be done."
Treasurer Joy Logan said Thursday the problem arose in the early stages of her office's conversion to the Manatron software, which also was installed in the past year in the assessor's and auditor's offices. The transition from the nearly 30-year-old Legacy software has been error-ridden for the county, leaving thousands of residents waiting for new car tags and vehicle renewal notices in recent months.
"This was a fluke in the beginning when we went on with Manatron," Logan said. The problem has likely been isolated only to the 200 people who paid property tax bills in December; of those, two have come forward to complain about problems.
A treasurer's office staffer reviewed the online property tax payment records for December to ensure their accuracy and thought he had caught all the errors, like Dobbert's, before the tax sale list was put together, Logan said.
"We know that not all of them had this happen," she said. "But unless they call, we don't know which did."
The county stands to make more than $5 million at the tax sale, in which all properties whose taxes have not been paid for the previous year are advertised and sold for nonpayment to the highest bidder. Many go for more than just the amount of the delinquent taxes.
Owners who pay their taxes by Oct. 2 will not have their properties sold, Logan said. Owners who don't pay taxes before the sale can reclaim their sold property by paying the taxes, plus interest, within 12 months.
Dobbert is glad his property is no longer slated for the auction block but wants a formal apology from county officials. He also wants a letter explaining the error to give to his bank and other institutions, fearing the mistake will be a costly black mark on his credit history.
"There are so many injuries that you get when this happens," Dobbert said. "I've had to worry about it ... the stress, the anxiety. All that time and energy and emotional anguish and embarrassment potentially for everyone thinking this is true when it's not. I want to be compensated."
