Luzerne County is processing data required for the owners of approximately 31,000 vehicles in the county to claim $5 overpayments of a vehicle registration fee no longer in effect, county Manager Romilda Crocamo told council Thursday.
The county halted the fee the end of 2021 and later learned 31,000 vehicle owners had unknowingly paid an extra $5 for 2022 because they chose the two-year registration renewal option.
County council was informed in August the state is willing to process the overpayments as unclaimed property so impacted residents have a means to recoup a refund. The administration said the unclaimed property option through the state makes sense because the county would have to spend money on processing and other expenses attempting to return overpayments.
According to Crocamo’s Thursday email:
County law office Assistant Solicitor Greg Skibitsky has spearheaded communications with Barbara Benkovic, division manager of the state treasury department’s Bureau of Unclaimed Property.
Benkovic gave the county an Excel spreadsheet template that must be used to add the county’s vehicle fee overpayments to the state’s unclaimed property database.
County Treasurer’s Office Manager Laura Beers was tasked with transposing data on the 31,000 vehicle owners from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation into the unclaimed property template. Beers has completed 80% of the transposing and expects to finish the task by the end of next week.
Benkovic must then review the spreadsheet for accuracy and completeness. Once Benkovic gives the go-ahead, the overpayments held by the county can be wired to the unclaimed property bureau.
After the money is wired, the county will issue a press release and post a link at luzernecounty.org informing citizens how to submit a claim to receive refunds through the state website or toll-free number.
Claims will have to be initiated by residents when the refund plan is activated. The state bureau only publicly identifies and advertises individuals entitled to funds if they are owed $250 or more.
Crocamo thanked Skibitsky, Beers and county Budget/Finance Division Head Mary Roselle for their diligent work on the project.
No final plan for the refunds has been approved.
Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.
Dallas Post
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