Man Pays Big Tax Bill in Coins, $1 Bills

[MTHead-migration]

Aug 14, 10:59 PM EDT

 

Man Pays Big Tax Bill With Small Bills

 

 

MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) -- A landlord said he wanted people to see the pain of his property tax bill when he hauled $12,656.07 in coins and $1 bills to the county treasurer's office.

 

Cary Malchow said the heavy load left him "out of breath" but it was worth watching three cashiers working overtime and guarded by sheriff's deputies on Monday to count every last cent of the semi-annual payment for his home, business and rental properties.

 

"I did it so people can physically see what $12,000 is," said Malchow, who has staged other recent protests to draw attention to Indiana's property tax increases.

 

It took 75 minutes to count out the cash, said Delaware County Treasurer Warren Beebe.

 

"They were fast, they were hustling. They're used to counting money, but of course that left other people standing in line. It was an awkward situation," Beebe said Tuesday.

 

Malchow's protest prevented the office from making its daily bank deposit, costing the county an estimated $1,135.90 in interest that would have otherwise accrued overnight, Beebe said.

[TerrapinWill]

Excellent!!!

[Keleum]

Sorry, no sympathy from me. I live in NY :-(

[TerrapinWill]

Sorry, no sympathy from me. I live in NY :-(

 

I am also a NYS resident........so I feel the tax pain.

[jtryka]

I saw this on the local news last night and thought it was a good protest. Although you New Yorkers might have higher property taxes than us Hoosiers, the story behind this is that in 2007 they changed the way properties are assessed and thus many folks saw their tax bills increase anywhere from 10% to 300%, and add to that the fact that many counties were so far behind on the change that they sent out only one tax bill, rather than the normal semi-annual installments. Needless to say the taxpayers here are not happy in the least. And for you New Yorkers, we probably wouldn't be so mad if our tax increase was cusioned by the huge increase in property values that people on either coast have seen. I can't remember when Indiana property values increased more than CPI!

[conqueror]

Thats nothing and he should be happy that he owns more than others. I have never had a problem paying taxes, I just have problem how they waste that money.

 

John

[dooly]

I agree !! just think how much his tax bill would have been in the UK !!!!!!

 

i also have a simlar story about one of my farmer Uncles who went to his local bank to complain about there charges.. got no joy .. so went back to the farm picked up the muck spreader and sprayed the bank with a full load of cow *spoon* he went up and down the bank 12 times before the police came !!!

[jesbroken]

Good for him-nothing wrong with a little non-violent protesting. Next year he should tell them he is paying in penny's or they could maybe negotiate the tax bill(if this year cost them $1135.90 think what next year paying in pennies would cost them-he might shave a couple of thousand off his bill)

 

Note: Dooly, I'm not saying that spreading poop is non-violent even though I'm sure the bank got the message.

 

[dooly]

 

 

Note: Dooly, I'm not saying that spreading poop is non-violent even though I'm sure the bank got the message.

 

No they didnot he did it again less than a year later but that time he dumped a hole traler load on the frount step !!!

[DC Dawg]

Malchow's protest prevented the office from making its daily bank deposit, costing the county an estimated $1,135.90 in interest that would have otherwise accrued overnight, Beebe said.

This is the best part of the protest!! Get them where it hurts.

 

Next year, everyone should do that. Maybe it should be done in half-dollars... there's plenty in storage at the various Fed branches. I am sure they will get the message after that!!

 

Scott

[BillJones]

Sadly government does not have the checks on it that private businesses have. When a CEO or other person of authority becomes an empire builder and exceeds the financial capacity of the company, the market pulls them in line. The company either cuts its expenses or goes into bankruptcy.

 

Government empire builders have no checks. They just keep raising and raising property taxes until it hurts or kills the economy. Then when people complain the government bureaucrats look to cut essential services first as way to get back at the tax payers. That’s what has happened here in Florida and the legislature has come down on the local government spenders who have gone totally out of control. Politicians take useless expensive trips and they build libraries we don’t need (The excuse was a small group of citizens wanted to “preserve” the building where they went to school. If they want to save the building, let THEM pay for it! Why should the taxpayers pay to rehab a building that is not suitable to be library? Why have another library when there are ready two within five miles of the one they are adding?) And they hire too many people.

 

The result is some government workers lose their jobs. Well join the club and get over it! When I worked in the private sector for more than 20 years, I got laid off twice because the company overextended and had to cut back. Just go out and find another job the way I did.

 

[pendragon1998]

I'm surprised the county accepted the tax payment in small bills and change. They should have refused it and requested a check. That's what the IRS does.

 

This guy thinks he's being clever, but all he's doing is costing his fellow county residents over $1000.

[nwcs]

Bill, we are having similar issues in my home county here. The ethics issues of our county government are being exposed. Shady dealings, commissioners who don't pay property taxes, lobster dinners in order to win influence, personal trips paid for on government cards, etc. Been causing a BIG stink here. Even so, it's par for the course. It happens in every government and it's only when the stars align just so that anything actually happens.

 

When something happens, it's a big show and in six months it returns to the status quo because the public is that apathetic.

 

As to the original post, good for him.