LOS ANGELES : DWP Pays Tax Penalty While Appealing Fine
After a mail-room snafu in April, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power on Friday paid a $333,407 late tax-filing penalty in Inyo County. But the giant city-owned utility also filed a 90-page appeal seeking to have the penalty dismissed.
DWP General Manager Dan Waters said the agency, which is one of the largest land owners in Inyo County, made a good faith effort to pay its $3.2-million real estate tax on time, but failed because of a series of errors by mail-room employees.
John Treacy, Inyo County tax collector, said he will consider the appeal and seek the opinions of his legal counsel, other county tax collectors and the state controller before making a decision in about 30 days.
Treacy noted that unlike the late tax payment, which was mailed, the appeal was hand-delivered by a DWP attorney who drove six hours to Inyo County.
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