(La Porte County, IN) - A La Porte man is upset, claiming he paid his property taxes on time but was charged extra for being late. Bob Vaughn took his complaint to the La Porte County Commissioners on Wednesday.

 

Vaughn pleaded his case, saying he paid on May 10th when he dropped a check into a drop box outside the courthouse in La Porte. The deadline was May 10th, but Vaughn was considered late because he didn’t place his payment into the box until after business hours and the box had been emptied.

 

However, Vaughn said the printed deadline on the property tax documents and drop box mentions nothing about time.

 

“The box doesn’t say it has to be paid by four o’clock.  The documents I get from the county doesn’t say it has to be paid by four o’clock,” he said.

 

Vaughn said he explained the situation to a county employee, who told him he would have to pay a penalty of five-percent of his property tax bill,  then 10-percent if he’s late with the late fee.

 

“That’s crap,” he said.

 

Commissioner Rich Mrozinski told him it’s up the county assessor and county treasurer to decide whether to grant him a waiver and would look into the situation with both office holders.

 

“I think you have a legitimate complaint,” he said.