Does Riverside County Owe You Money? Claim Your Refund Now

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Riverside County property owners were advised Thursday to check the Office of the Treasurer-Tax Collector's web portal to find out whether they may be owed property tax refunds from the last decade.

According to Treasurer-Tax Collector Jon Christensen, $479,709 in refunds from prior tax years is waiting to be claimed.

A total 567 individuals and businesses are listed as eligible to receive the funds, Christensen said. Amounts range from a few dollars to thousands of dollars.

The deadline to file a refund claim is Aug. 1. The Board of Supervisors will vote soon after that date on whether to transfer unclaimed money into the general fund, or extend the claims deadline.

In previous years, the board postponed action on transfers to give prospective recipients additional time to file a claim. Last year, officials began circulating notices in April about the availability of the unclaimed funds. The effort is being repeated this year.

Under state law, the county is only obligated to hold unclaimed money for four years before it becomes county property.

According to Christensen, most of the refunds stem from changes in the property tax roll that occurred after a payment had been mailed, resulting in savings to the taxpayer. When the Office of the Treasurer-Tax Collector sends a refund check and it's returned, it's placed in a holding account.

A complete list of individuals and businesses eligible for refunds can be found here: http://www.countytreasurer.org... Refund.aspx .

Information about how to file a claim is available via the same portal.

— City News Service / Image via Shutterstock