HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 7065 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7065
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SOrrr4�u To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
November 12, 1985
xA Subject' Paving Assessment Billing
1013
Under the provisions of the contract with Heard, Goggin and Blair (HGB) for
collection of delinquent tax and assessment payments, collection activities
for paving assessments were to pass to HGB in February 1985. All delinquent
billing by the City was suspended in February in accord with this agreement.
Only current (paid-up) accounts continued to be billed. However, because of
other collection activities in the tax area, HGB did not begin its collection
actions in paving until October 1985.
The City's automated billing system did not allow for any delay in payment.
Many accounts that were current in February were classified, by the system,
as delinquent in March when no payments were received as a result of bills
not having been sent. Subsequent delayed payments resulted in more than 200
accounts being classified as delinquent. These accounts were not billed for
up to seven months and the fifteen percent (15X) attorney's fees were added
to each.
In September, 1985, HGB was informed in writing of all accounts which,
because of hardship or Council payment agreement status, were not to be
assessed the delinquency charge nor legal action to be taken, however, the
computer tape provided to HGB contained information on all paving accounts
which proved difficult to read. In the resulting confusion, 317 accounts
received HGB letters of legal action being taken. Some of these accounts
should not have been notified.
In order to definitively identify the status on all accounts, all backup
manual records have been researched and a full listing of exempt accounts
given to HGB. The billing system has been modified to identify account type
and special billing status. All accounts which had a current status when
billing was suspended in February have been adjusted to subtract the fifteen
percent (152) attorney's fees and billing for November was accurate. All
questions and complaints on accounts are being handled on a case-by-case
basis by the staff.
A new computer tape is being prepared for HGB and will be sent in early
November to correct their records and assure accuracy and continuity with
City records. In addition, the Tax Division is preparing design
specifications for a total rewrite of the paving assessment system to
eliminate these type problems in the future.
You may receive calls from constituents on this issue. Please refer them to
Linda Brown in the Tax Division, 870-6661.
Douglas Harman
I� City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS