Property tax overpayments totaling just over $400,000 are slated Tuesday to be turned into revenue for Riverside County government — unless the Board of Supervisors decides to extend the deadline for prospective recipients to claim their money.
According to the Office of the Treasurer-Tax Collector, $417,000 in refunds from 2013 and prior tax years is bound for the treasury.
About 550 individuals and businesses are listed on the tax collector’s website as eligible to receive the funds, in amounts ranging from $10 to $22,000 per person or entity.
The county began circulating notices in April about the funds’ availability and how the people and businesses owed money should go about filing claims.
According to officials, 16 claimants came forward over the summer and received a total $64,848, shaving the previous unclaimed sum of $481,856 by 13 percent.
In previous years, the board postponed action on transfers to give prospective recipients additional time to file a claim. Beginning in 2017, the Office of the Treasurer-Tax Collector began advertising the funds’ availability via traditional media and county web portals for a full three months before a scheduled vote on whether to deposit the money into the general fund.
Additionally, officials attempted to contact some prospective claimants by letter and phone to bring attention to the fact that the money was available to them, according to the Office of the Treasurer-Tax Collector.
Under state law, the county is only obligated to hold the unclaimed funds for four years before it becomes county property.
Officials said most of the refunds stem from changes in the property tax roll that occurred after a payment had been mailed, resulting in savings to the taxpayer.
When the county sends a refund check and it’s returned, it’s placed in a holding account.
A complete list of individuals and businesses eligible for refunds can be found here: www.countytreasurer.org/TaxCollector/UnclaimedMoney/PropertyTaxUnclaimedRefund.aspx .