Riverside County Has $1.36 Million to Refund: Are You Owed?

RIVERSIDE, CA - Riverside County property owners who are owed tax refunds from five or more years ago have until Aug. 1 to file a claim or risk losing the money, Treasurer-Tax Collector Don Kent said Wednesday.

According to Kent, $1.36 million in refunds from 2011 and prior tax years is waiting to be claimed.

Nearly 800 people and businesses are listed on the treasurer-tax- collector's website as eligible to receive the unclaimed money.

In the next two months, the Board of Supervisors will vote on whether to transfer the money into the general fund. In previous years, the board has postponed action on transfers to give prospective recipients additional time to file a claim.

But this year, Kent and board Chairman John Benoit decided to get the word out early in the hope that taxpayers will act. The county will also place advertisements in area newspapers to get the word out.

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

According to Kent, 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.<<

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