Angry Rant Against Bexar Co. Tax Assessor's Office (Columbus: buying, live in)

[tyger2678]

I have a similar story about a stupid fee. When I renewed my license plates for the first time, a year after buying my car, I went to the main office downtown. I was told that my first name (Joseph) was misspelled in the system (Joesph), which in turn would be misspelled on the title, which of course I don't have yet, so I wouldn't have known. The lady told me I might want to get that corrected so there won't be any problems in the future, and gave me the phone number to call to get this fixed. I called the number right away, and was told I had to pay to get it fixed. This blew me away. I have to pay to fix someone else's mistake? I'm not the one who misspelled my name, yet I have to pay to fix it. It just proves what kind of country we live in now. We are nickle and dimed to death. I paid it, but honestly it didn't make sense, considering it was no mistake on my part.

[Paul56]

Originally Posted by Soviet

I recently had 2 vehicles require new vehicle registration stickers in quick succession. Naturally, I renewed online via credit card for the airline miles, as I have done so for the past several years. The sticker for the 2nd application arrived with the 1st sticker not showing up at all. So when the registration expired, I went on over to the office asking for the sticker.

That is the first problem... why wait until it expired to make the trip
to the office?

They Moderator cut: See Comment dared to ask me for $7 in "fees". Excuse me. I paid EARLY. I paid ON TIME. YOUR incompetence failed to provide me with the sticker. Why should *I* pay for YOUR incompetence? Are you freaking kidding me?!

Well, you did waiting until after the expiry.

Excuse me, but I was born in the USSR

Hey, there is a song there.

But it shouldn't be relevant. I shouldn't have to be held hostage by morons to pay $7 (yes, it's a pittance, but it's the principle that counts to me) for THEIR own incompetence.

Part of the incompetence was on your side for waiting until
after the expiry.

Urrrrrggggh, my blood boils just thinking of this debacle.

Two problems with that.

When one gets highly emotional the ability to think also goes
out the window and so does your ability to nicely approach those
who you perceive have wronged you... and perhaps reach a solution

The second problem is getting so emotional causes stress and likely
raises your BP... neither of which are good for your health.

If you fly off the handle about things like this... then you would
have gone ballistic dealing with the items I did last summer during
my move down here from Canada.

Take it all in stride and expect incompetence.... but do what you
gotta do to get things done.

[hadleyzoo]

Had a somewhat similar experience recently. Paid my renewal for car registration online like I have done for years. Had to get new plates too. Both plates and the sticker came in the mail. But my plates...well, issues came up with the last four digits of the plates: X666. Yes...X666. I don't have a problem with it, but it seems many motorists in the area took offense to this. Had one couple pull up to me at a light and motion me to roll down my window and when I did they proceeded to give me a lecture on religion. Watched several people in my rearview mirror pointing at my car (I can only assume they were really pointing at my new plates) talking to their passenger. Then one day my car was keyed in the HEB parking lot. Well this was all in a matter of about 4 days. Everyone I worked with said I needed to get new plates so I went down to the tax office on SW military and walked right in with no wait. The lady who was helping me told me I had to pay another $7 for new plates. Excuse me...okay I was still well within about 20 days of my old ones getting ready to expire...I asked her if she would put these plates on her car and she said no. She asked me why I accepted them when I renewed...ummm, because I did it online? I was firm in standing my ground about having to pay another $7 for new plates, I plead my case calmly. She got a manager and he had the opinion that those plates should have never been issued and gave me new plates free of charge. By the way, the office on SW Military was not busy at all. It was about 8:30 in the morning on a Wednesday and not a single person in line.

[xsa210tx]

Originally Posted by hadleyzoo

Issues came up with the last four digits of the plates: X666. Yes...X666. I don't have a problem with it, but it seems many motorists in the area took offense to this. Had one couple pull up to me at a light and motion me to roll down my window and when I did they proceeded to give me a lecture on religion.

I can't believe they did that to you. If it would have been me, I would have given them the "are you from planet Earth?" look.

[hadleyzoo]

Originally Posted by xsa210tx

I can't believe they did that to you. If it would have been me, I would have given them the "are you from planet Earth?" look.

Yeah...I was just in shock I couldn't get the words to come out to tell them that this is what the tax office mailed to me and to get off their high horse. All is good now though...I only have two 6's in my last 4 now.

[HillCountryHotRodMan]

If you feel bad about the lousy way you have been treated by city employees, remember that the chance is likely that they are paid less than you. Deal with your anger and walk out smiling and glad that you don't work in any hell hole such as the one you just visited.

[Neshomamench]

You need to calm down. life really does suck sometimes but with little stuff like this, you get to pick how much you let it effect you.

Just let it go.

[Backliteyes]

In my opinion, since you paid for the registration renewal before the expiration, the fee didn't apply to you and they should've "waived" it. But, government is often not reasonable, so, I'm not surprised at all.

This story doesn't make me feel any better about the fact that I need to go into the tax assesor's office on Monday.

[ged_782]

Originally Posted by Backliteyes

This story doesn't make me feel any better about the fact that I need to go into the tax assesor's office on Monday.

Better make sure they will be open. Monday is a Federal Holiday (Columbus Day).

[Merovee]

Originally Posted by hadleyzoo

Watched several people in my rearview mirror pointing at my car (I can only assume they were really pointing at my new plates) talking to their passenger.

This story made the thread worth it. I would not have lectured you or keyed your car but you would have seen me in the rear-view pointing. Never thought about how it would be to be the one with the 666 plates lol