Paying local real estate taxes with cash - how can they refuse cash?!

[justalayman]

So, the local bureau states they are not accepting payment and I must deal w/the bank. Bank is a private equity and states they do not accept cash. Does that mean the local bureau is in the clear? They are not required to offer an option to pay cash?

As an American citizen (hate to go to that), I have the right to pay my taxes with cash. From my perspective, either a) the local bureau must provide an option to pay cash -or- b) if the bank is acting as the sole collector on behalf of the government entity it must accept cash.

Anyone know how this would be handled definitively as I will continue to push this topic to pay the taxes w/cash.

well, as an American citizen (don't know what that really has to do with anything since laws apply to everybody (except the elite pigs), you are wrong. The bureau can establish rules, including a location to make payments other than their offices. The bank, being a private entity, can set rules on what form of payment they will accept. Sorry but you lose on this one.

btw: the closest to winning would be (b) but it won't actually win it for you.

 

[TigerD]

So, go to the collector's office and pay your taxes there.

DC

 

[PixelRogue]

Thank you for the links....

 

[bdancer]

I suspect the issue isn't that the bank is accepting and processing the payment but that the bank merely passes the payment to the lockbox operation which process the payment for the local government.

From my personal experience, it is NEVER a good idea to run cash thru a lockbox operation. These are minimum wage employees opening up those envelopes and cash will disappear. I know an idiot sales person who overnighted $600 in cash to our company lockbox. Surprise! The cash disappeared.

The bank doesn't want the responsibility of accepting your cash and turning it over to the lockbox. Thus, the bank requires you to provide a check or money order.

 

[FarmerJ]

Yes go in person to your county property tax desk after you have printed out http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/faqs/currency/pages/legal-tender.aspx and make sure you highlight >, public charges, taxes, and dues." and if they refuse then Id say insist on speaking to a supervisor and make sure you let them see the print out as you tell them that if your cash payment is not accepted you will have no problem making a literal federal complaint with the treasury against them (personally ID be mad too, I like using cash, I do not have any bounce fees by paying cash, my cash last alot longer because I dont just mindlessly hand over a card (OHH and btw LOL not long ago when assisting someone to buy a car the car sales place didnt have a lick of cash on hand, but to get the sale they were willing to eat a good chunk of the sales tax because I gave them eleven 100 dollar bills and they just couldnt make change and werent going to lose the sale over it , I think the original cost with taxes and crapola was 1,134.xx )

 

[Zigner]

Yes go in person to your county property tax desk after you have printed out http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/faqs/currency/pages/legal-tender.aspx and make sure you highlight >, public charges, taxes, and dues." and if they refuse then Id say insist on speaking to a supervisor and make sure you let them see the print out as you tell them that if your cash payment is not accepted you will have no problem making a literal federal complaint with the treasury against them (personally ID be mad too, I like using cash, I do not have any bounce fees by paying cash, my cash last alot longer because I dont just mindlessly hand over a card (OHH and btw LOL not long ago when assisting someone to buy a car the car sales place didnt have a lick of cash on hand, but to get the sale they were willing to eat a good chunk of the sales tax because I gave them eleven 100 dollar bills and they just couldnt make change and werent going to lose the sale over it , I think the original cost with taxes and crapola was 1,134.xx )

Sounds to me like the county doesn't take tax payments at the desk.

 

[FarmerJ]

I cant see a county government center not having a window for payments some where in the same govt center there likely is a place for someone to pay speeding tickets, other court fines/ fees & or tickets issued for violations of city ords or things like a city /county water & sewer bill or permit fees.