Taxpayers: Likely last on the list to be made whole by Berkheimer
By: Joe Holden
Updated: December 14, 2012
Nanticoke, Luzerne County- Already, a company named Berkheimer has flooded tens of thousands of area mailboxes with notices of pending tax collections for 2012. It's a stinging reminder that most people across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, including here in Luzerne County, have yet to see checks from returns of the 2011 earned income tax.
And getting answers on a timeline is proving to be quite difficult.
The controversy is receiving little coverage. Most taxpayers seem to shrug their shoulders, asking what can they do about it.
On Wednesday evening, tax collectors from across Luzerne County met at Luzerne County Community College. There was one taxpayer among them: Gary Lavieri of Forty Fort.
"I'm learning that my tax refund check and everybody elses in the state is at the bottom of the list and we may never receive our checks, according to what they're saying," said Lavieri.
Centax was hauled into a court by a local government in the Pittsburgh area. That move temporarily froze the complicated process of trying to determine what money was supposed to go where. Before that, a bonding company had appointed a third party to sort through the returns and the millions due to taxpayers and local governments across Pennsylvania.
The courts appointed Attorney Paul Cordaro as a receiver. In a phone interview two weeks ago with Eyewitness News, he confirmed governments would be paid first. Wilkes-Barre is owed an estimated $1.2 million. Without that money, the city has been unable to meet certain bills.
And getting answers on a timeline is proving to be quite difficult.
The controversy is receiving little coverage. Most taxpayers seem to shrug their shoulders, asking what can they do about it.
On Wednesday evening, tax collectors from across Luzerne County met at Luzerne County Community College. There was one taxpayer among them: Gary Lavieri of Forty Fort.
"I'm learning that my tax refund check and everybody elses in the state is at the bottom of the list and we may never receive our checks, according to what they're saying," said Lavieri.
Centax was hauled into a court by a local government in the Pittsburgh area. That move temporarily froze the complicated process of trying to determine what money was supposed to go where. Before that, a bonding company had appointed a third party to sort through the returns and the millions due to taxpayers and local governments across Pennsylvania.
The courts appointed Attorney Paul Cordaro as a receiver. In a phone interview two weeks ago with Eyewitness News, he confirmed governments would be paid first. Wilkes-Barre is owed an estimated $1.2 million. Without that money, the city has been unable to meet certain bills.
Comments
I can't believe that there was only ONE taxpayer that attended this meeting. Do you people in NEPA enjoy getting shafted ? Does anybody care that they have not yet received the money that is YOURS and that local government hasn't even made an effort to appoint someone to oversee how the taxpayers who are owed refunds are going to get OUR money. Amazing how everyone in this area just lets these things go. I can tell you that this would NEVER happen in NY. Local boroughs hired this totally incompetent company to handle our money. Someone needs to be held responsible for this mess. I would stress that you people start speaking up for yourselves instead of just ignoring these screw ups. No wonder there is so much blatant corruption in this area because the folks in NEPA don't stand up for themselves. I would urge you to attend the next meeting and DEMAND to where your money is and when you will get it.. Instead the Tax Committee is HIRING people to be liaisons between Berkheimer and the Centax attorneys...Ues folks , they are spending YOUR money and by the time they are done and the account is drained, you will get NOTHING back.
Wake up and attend the next meeting at LCCC at March 20, 2013 at 6:30 PM.
Gary G.
December 27, 2012 at 6:30 am
