Letter: Auditor’s office gets it wrong

The recent article about the feud between the Beaufort County auditor and treasurer brings to mind recent experiences with tax billings for autos.

The first involved a tax bill for a car titled in a revocable trust. When it was discovered that the tax rate was not for a South Carolina resident, an inquiry was made to the auditor’s office. After three calls and discussion with the auditor, the office agreed a refund was due but were reluctant to look back at the prior three years that were also overcharged.

When the refund was received, it was miscalculated and after two more calls another check was sent.

When the situation with revocable trusts was related to other friends, they found the same overcharges and an auditor’s office that was reluctant to remedy the situation.

It is apparent that many Beaufort County residents who use revocable trusts to title vehicles may have been overcharged for years.

Recently, my auto tax bill for 2016 arrived and a newer vehicle was valued about 50 percent more than the purchase price. When contacted, the auditor’s office said that was a mistake but the tax due is correct!

Given these experiences, I cannot be comfortable that the auditor’s office will get the property tax bills correct.

This story was originally published September 22, 2016 at 10:30 PM with the headline "Letter: Auditor’s office gets it wrong."