people are getting bills for welfare and food stamps received decades ago

[Liberal_in_LA]

Shasta residents billed for overpaid cash aid

Some Shasta County residents are opening their mailboxes and getting unpleasant surprises from the county.

A Shasta County official says thousands of residents are receiving bills for overpayments the county claims it made when it provided cash assistance and food stamps, some from decades ago.

Richard Morey says he received a bill stating he owes the Shasta County Department of Social Services $785 for overpayments he received 27 years ago. His wife, Denise, received a bill for $607 for overpayments dating back to 1994.

A Shasta County official says the two received cash assistance, but says they were paid too much at the time.

Leanne Link, an official with the county's social services department, says the discrepancies were discovered when Shasta County updated its computers.

Link says the county is required by law to collect the money.



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/07/31/state/n122312D16.DTL&type=business#ixzz0vIGTgkqM

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

1. This is BS. Most people do not keep records that long

and could not possibly mount a defense.

The fact that the bills are going out decades later is prima facie evidence of incompetence on the part of the county.

I would say tough nuggies to Shasta County and then I would see an attorney about filing a class action suit against the county on behalf of the resident's being harrassed in this fashion.

[dsc]

2. I can't imagine this isn't covered by the statute of limitations

Hell even the IRS can only go back 7 years.

[lpbk2713]

3. What a concept.

Tell people they owe them money and pay up or else just because their computers say so.


:eyes:

[valerief]

4. Yeah, it's like believing electronic voting machines!

:rofl:

[nosmokes]

5. That's a helluva upgrade. n/t

[rbrnmw]

6. I would say so

that is crazy

[Kurovski]

7. A few years back , the pebble-sucking, jagbag Repuke House

voted to allow money to be taken from low income social security recipients. If you recieve 450.00 a month, and an agency decides to back-bill you, they can legally take out payments.

But now we have "our own" in the House. you'd think fucking Obama or our fucking Reps could fucking rouse themselves from their fucking torpor to fucking change that fucking cruel fucking move the mother fucker Repukes made.

[glitch]

8. :)

I like how you express yourself.

[Kurovski]

9. I've seen this kind of reportage in the New York Times.

Or so Rush Limbaugh has told me.

[kestrel91316]

10. Statute of limitations on debt collection in CA is 4 years, IIRC.

You will see these cases thrown out of court upon challenge.

[pipi_k]

11. Oh, and I'll just bet the county is being completely honorable...

and giving money to people they may have underpaid...



yeah...

:eyes:

[old mark]

12. A friend of ours had his social security disability canceled - they said they overpaid him

more than $10,000 over the years and he won't get a dime till it is all paid back. He has seizure disorder and cannot work.
He is living on his savings.

mark