Make no mistake. Bank of America Corp. doesn't make mistakes like the mistake it made with Valparaiso Councilman John Bowker's property taxes.
At the end of 2010, Bowker got a check for $612.66 from the Porter County treasurer's office with a note saying it was for the overpayment of his property taxes by BAC. This came as a surprise to Bowker, whose mortgage is with Centier Bank.
Although a Red Sox fan, Bowker is smart enough to know BAC would eventually come looking for that money. So he put it in the bank and waited. And waited. Finally, in April, after he'd earned several cents in interest, the much-anticipated letter arrived.
In it, BAC said Bowker must repay $1,316.02, which would have been the total for the final 2010 tax payment and the first one in 2011. This was another surprise because the county had no record that anyone other than Centier paid his property taxes in 2011.
Bowker tried several times to reach someone with BAC before finally getting a response from a person who assured him BAC didn't make such mistakes. When he told BAC he would not pay more than the $612.66 unless they provided proof he owed it, BAC said it would have to verify the figure with the county.
A week later he had no return contact from BAC, but he got a second BAC letter saying he hadn't responded to the first letter and he should send the check for $1,316.02 forthwith. That was about the point where Bowker decided I might like to hear the story.
You can read the rest of the story here.
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