i did not pay Conway Arkansas taxes on the mineral royalties for 2013. Why? I forgot! Has anyone had a deal like this? My base tax is $36.48; my penalties are $314.05; interest is $1.64; equalling $352.17
I can’t believe I’m being charged on each well at least $4.50 penality. Doesn’t it make sense to charge me penality on the amount owed, not on 69 Parcels?
I’m sure I’m stuck with this bill, but can not believe it. Has.anyone been through this? Help please!
Paula --
Yes. I'm a fellow sitckee and still smarting. The Commissioner of State Land office stuck me with a bill for $55+ in penalties and fees for a 99 cent ($.00.99) so-called delinquent tax bill in Nevada County in 2012. I figure that's a 5000 percent take for the state tax coffers, with no idea about how much is returned to my beloved home county.
There's simply no complaint or appeal process. None. No due process or other procedures for dispute. Just lots of good local folks hamstrung by a statewide snarl of disconnected offices and bi-partisan red tape that has been patched together for decades at several state and county government levels.
( I "friended" you on the Forum and will send the complete story offline, if you like. Many of my friends and relatives with small mineral interests have suffered similarly, so maybe we can swap horror stories.
Jim Bemis
In Texas you can dispute the penalties and interest, but if you simply forgot about to pay, I do not believe the fees can be waived here. However, few instances in Texas is it legally permissible to waive the penalties and interest. The fees may be waived if there was a mistake that was caused by the tax office or the appraisal district which resulted in the late payment or tax notice.
You could always call the tax office and dispute the fees and see if you can resolve it for less than what they claim you owe. Never hurts to try. Courtesy goes a long ways in this world too. Having cash up front to pay always shows them an incentive to correct the problem as well.
Thank you Sir for your input! I overlooked the bill, had three others I did pay and this one somehow got over looked. Texas also sends reminders if you haven’t sent in your taxes on mineral royalities! Arkansas did not. What’s curious to me is how they can charge penalties on each parcel. I’m being charged $4.50 as a penality on each month the well produced, the interest is nothing: $1.64 on the total of $36.48. I will talk to someone there tomorrow, as the charges go up April 1. Thanks for your time and thoughts!
I'm surprised they have a flat fee of penalty per parcel. In Texas it is merely a percentage of the total due, not a flat fee penalty per account (or parcel).
Does Arkansas law require they send you a delinquent tax notice? You might check into it. Occasionally the tax offices fail to send required notices when taxes are due, or delinquent, etc. Of course they don't tell you they may have made a mistake, but if you know the law - sometimes their failure to send required notices can be protested and the penalties / interest waived. Again, I do not know Arkansas law, but in Texas - depending on the circumstances - if a required notice was due and not sent, then you may have grounds to dispute the penalties / late fees / etc, etc.