I thought I would save time and pay my property tax online. Never did it before. Went to the website miamidade.gov and clicked through to find my portfolio number and clicked again. I got this message: "For a credit card payment, you will be charged a non refundable convenience fee of $87.25"
!#@$# Excuse me? How does saving me and you time, to pay a bill where no envelope needs to be opened, check reconciled by hand, worth $87 bucks? A "convenience" fee. Oh I get it: you would RATHER employ workers to open mail and reconcile each check by hand. It keeps government workers employed, and their supervisors, until it is time to GOTV.
Well here is a personalized message response. I'm going downstairs to write out a check for my property tax, put a stamp on an envelope, and put it in the mail. Take THAT, Mr. Tax Collector!
14 comments:
The word arrogance comes to mind just like when I think of Carlos Alvarez. You hit the nail on the head, it is all about the next election and keeping people on the government payroll. the truth is that we should get a discount for paying on line and those who mail in should pay more.An analysis of what those clerks cost per envelope opened would blow your mind.
I am sure you are right.
You are aware that that credit card companies charge the seller, in this case the county, between 1 and 3 percent per transaction?
What is the 3% of your tax bill?
Online bank payment NOT credit card.
I have always paid online through my bank. I didn't know you could charge it. Sounds dangerous. Same with federal taxes. Always a surcharge. But, considering you save a few percent by paying early, it sounds like you will break even. And, you'll earn points.
tom
$40 something in Broward.
I mailed mine in....
.
Gimleteye wrote that the website charged for online CREDIT CARD payment, not direct bank payment. So the county is definitely passing along the 1-3% charge from visa, mastercard, etc. Usually merchants have to eat that charge, but notice many gas stations charge two prices, one for cash and more for credit, that's why. The county should allow direct bank payment online, not just credit cards.
Living in deep South Dade I always go to the gov center in Cutler Ridge (Cutler Bay)to pay my taxes.
But now with no services there i have to go down town--No Way. If the county burecats knew how to be thrifty and watch dog spending (under statement) our gov services
could stay open and I could visit the South Dade Office, pay my taxes and check out a book in the next door county library. Damn, I'll have to mail it to DOWNTOWN.
Flinn Voter
The government was being thrifty - keeping the center open in South Dade cost close to a million $ a year and didn't collect enough to justify the expense since you can mail in or pay your taxes on line.
The administration has been trying to close it for years. The two commissioners in SD have pushed to keep it open because it has been an important point of access for the poor in the area, even if it was expensive to keep going.
As many others have pointed out, the only surcharge is for CREDIT transactions.
The County already discounts your taxes by 4% if you pay in November. That aint chump change is it?
So if you MUST pay on a credit card, then County can't eat the 4% discount AND the 3% it pays to Visa or MasterCard.
I've paid online for several years now via direct deduction from my bank and never had a problem, never paid a convenience fee.
They must be using Paypal...
if they took amex _ I could use the 6000 points.
I always thought it was illegal to pass on "credit card" fees in Florida.
I believe it is a violation of the merchant agreement to pass charges on. Now, having said that, I hate to see the county repeal the 4% discount so that they can drop passing the merchant fee through. However, if you are getting the 4% discount and paying with a cc, you are really asking your neighbors to foot the bill.
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