As if there wasn't already enough going wrong in my universe, yesterday morning started off pleasantly enough with a quick stop at my favorite place ever, QT {aka, quiktrip} for a fillup.
Insert debit card. "Please see cashier." Huh? Insert debit card once again. "Please see cashier." Now wait just a minute. I know I have money in there. Grumble Grumble Grumble. QT sometimes has issues with their banking system, so I run down the street to the ghetto Circle K and try to fill up there. "Please see cashier." AGHHHHH!
{now, Josh asked me why I didn't just go in to see the cashier at this point, but I knew they wouldn't be able to tell me anything good - just that my card wasn't working for some reason, or that maybe there was a terrorist attack that brought down Visa's system... or something}
So I go to my office, bring up my bank's website, and try to log in to see what on earth is going on. Except, oh wait, my bank's online banking site is down. And after some further research, it turns out it has been down close to 12 hours at this point. Aghh, relief. It isn't me. It is them! Apparently my bank's ATM's are still working, so after I leave work I stop by a branch to pull some cash out so I can fill up my car. I pull through the drive-thru to use the ATM. The ATM can not read my card. Again, I swipe it. No go. Oh my god, this is getting ridiculous.
You know, this story is getting long, so I'll try to shorten it. I go into the bank to talk to a banker.
Per banker, the reason my debit card is not working is because the debit cards were cancelled by their levy department. Yes, Levy department. Apparently a levy has been placed on our account. He doesn't know why, and directs me to that department. Per the Levy department, the Arizona Department of Revenue submitted legal paperwork for the Levy, and I will have to call them to get it released. Per the Arizona Department of Revenue, I didn't pay my 2009 State Taxes. But, oh wait, the chick on the line DOES see money sitting in our account unapplied - money that has been earmarked for a 2010 estimated tax payment. I am looking at copies of the check (front and back) that I sent in April - and clear as day on the front "2009 Arizona State Taxes" are written. Oh, did I mention that I included a voucher (provided by THEM!) along with the check to show what the funds were for.
But but but - they still won't release the levy because the amount sitting unapplied doesn't cover the amount we owe. You see, because my payment that was due in April hasn't been paid yet, I was charged a late fee, so the amount owed is higher than the amount in the account. Nevermind that it was THEIR ERRROR that caused all this. I'm told that the burden of proof rests with me - I have to fax copies of the checks, copies of the voucher and a letter stating what happened and how I want my funds applied.
So, in the mean time, my bank has the funds that AZ Department of Revenue request on "hold" and our debit cards have been cancelled, and the AZ Department of Revenue will not release the levy until I either send in the $7.00 late fee so the full amount is paid, or they get the $200.18 from the bank.
Yes, that is right, internet, the Arizona Department of Revenue placed a levy on my checking account for $200.18. Once the $200.18 is satisfied by either me sending in the late fee or them receiving the amount from the bank, they will release the levy on my account and refund the overage back to me.
So, yeah. Screw you government. Screw you AZ. And screw you bank (big national bank) that added insult to injury by taking a $100.00 fee for processing the Levy paperwork. I hate you all. I'm leaving the bank for sure. I'm going to leave AZ as soon as I can.
/grumble. /cry.
I'm still working to resolve all this, but hopefully all will be ironed out by Friday. No, relatives, we don't need you to western union us money, and Josh just might explode if anyone calls to ask him any questions about this, as a warning :)
Well, I had a MCSO deputy give me a ticket based on a bald-faced lie to meet his August quota, so I get to pay ≈$150 for traffic school just days before moving out of the state forever.
ReplyDeleteUhm. When are you leaving exactly?
ReplyDeleteOh, and EFF AZ!
ReplyDeleteThat is horrible. My mouth was hanging open during your story. It's also quite amazing what the government can do to YOUR bank account.
ReplyDeleteDude, what happened with all this in the end? The EXACT same thing happened to my husband and I. The AZ Department of Revenue put a $3,300 levy on our joint bank account in September 2010 due to their claim that my husband had not paid his 2005 taxes.
ReplyDeleteDuring tax season in 2005 my husband was in Iraq - he was there for 12 months. His tax return was submitted by his accountant on-line in 2005, but payment for the 2005 return was submitted in 2006 when he returned to the USA. The AZ Dept. of Revenue told him while they may have received the payment, but it was unapplied and not attributed to him and that the matter would need to be investigated.
Like you the burden was on him to prove that he had paid, and he had 30 days to do so. SO he gave them all the information he had; bank statements showing they took the exact amount in question for the 2005 taxes, the check number of the payment (which was made through WaMu, which went under and is now Chase Bank which complicated the situation further) etc etc.
After reviewing the information they could see he paid the tax amount, but claimed he didn’t actually submit the tax return for that year (although his accountant had done so on-line while he was in Iraq). They said without the return there was nothing to attach the payment to and thus it would remain unapplied until the return for that year was received.
So he sent in the return AGAIN for his 2005 taxes. And despite ALL this, they didn’t relinquish the levy and they took our money at the end of the 30 days!
The person he was dealing with said now that the levy was processed, the matter was out of her hands and she could not help him get his money back and referred him to another department.
He followed up with that department with 2 letters via certified mail and didn’t receive any reply. And then... get this... on the 8th April 2011 they put ANOTHER $3,300 levy on our account for not paying his 2005 taxes! I’m not kidding! So they got the original $2,600 payment in 2006, then a further $3,300 in September 2010 (which was the $2,600 plus interest and fees), then another $3,300 in April 2011!! A grand total of $9,200!!! OMG!
After many phone calls and waiting on the phone for HOURS he got hold of someone and explained the entire situation over again. The person could clearly see the error and agreed to relinquish the latest levy. Finally. And on top of that they advised the original person that claimed he did not submit the 2005 tax return was wrong, and they could see he had and now he had submitted it twice! However it is a different department who does the investigations, so he needed to contact them about getting the other $3,300 that was taken in 2010 returned.
SO, after many more hours on the phone he reaches someone in this other department who advised him that yes they are aware of his complaint, and yes they received his certified letters regarding this issue, however they have not begun investigating it because it is tax season and thus they are only investigating these matters between the hours of 8am and 10am so they can focus on processing tax returns for the remainder of the day, and there is nothing he can do except wait until they finally get around to his specific complaint. Seriously!!?!
We are lost now and don’t know what to do! Is there anyone else we can contact about this? Surely there must be some kind of legislation re this kind of thing? There must be some higher department we can appeal to who can make the AZ department of revenue accountable! We want our money back! AND we want any red marks against our credit absolved.
Do you, or does anyone have any advice for us of what to do now?