KEY LARGO, Fla. – More than 35,000 property owners in the Florida Keys received an extra tax bill this week.
The message from the Monroe County tax collector: don’t pay it.
According to Tax Collector Sam Steele, the vendor that handles the printing and mailing of property tax bills in Monroe County also serves Charlotte County.
The vendor, TC Delivers, inadvertently mailed 35,469 tax bills with Monroe County names and addresses printed on Charlotte County’s tax bill paper, displaying Charlotte County’s property tax values.
It prompted the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office to issue a warning about the clerical error.
Keys homeowners like legendary Local 10 News meteorologist Don Noe were one of many to receive the extra tax bill.
“I was a little distressed because it said I owed $3,500,” he said. “It looked legitimate. And it is a real tax bill for a property I’ve never heard of before.”
Steele said there was no breach of data.
“We weren’t hacked. No private information was released,” he said.
Property owners who have mortgages did not receive the extra bill, so there is no worry that money would be automatically deducted.
“It was a sloppy mistake that should have been avoided,” Steele said.
If a property owner already sent a check, it will be returned.
“If the payment were to be received (by) us, we will return the payment,” said Charlotte County tax collector Vicki Potts.
Visit the Monroe County Tax Collector’s website for more information.