In March 2025, an administrative mistake resulted in about 8,300 out of nearly 60,000 property tax rebate checks being sent to an incorrect payee, identified as the “Hartshorn Community Council.” The Department of Finance Director, Sheila White, suspended the distribution of checks upon learning of the error and initiated an audit of the process.
In the subsequent weeks, the audit revealed additional errors. Rebate checks intended for owners who had sold their property in 2024 were mistakenly issued to the new owners. Around 156 rebates were sent for parcels that did not exist in 2024, as the rebate only applies to property taxes from that year. Furthermore, due to the nature of the initial error, some correctly issued checks were also halted.
The department is currently verifying the remaining checks. Rebate checks will be reissued according to the real estate tax rebate program once validation is complete.
Moreover, the City’s Director of Revenue Administration, Jamie Atkinson, who was in charge of overseeing the rebate program, resigned on April 21, 2025. Senior Director Sheila White will now oversee the process of issuing the remaining rebate checks directly.
Residents charged bank fees for attempting to cash a valid but stopped check can request a reimbursement through the RVA311 service. This can be done by calling 311 or submitting a request online at rva311.com. Residents must submit their requests by May 30, 2025.
Once on the RVA311 website, the following steps should be followed:
– Click “Create New Request”
– Click “Real Estate Taxes”
– Click “Continue” through the pop-up window
– Fill out the requested information, including uploading a photo of the return check fee from your bank
– Click “Next”
– Fill out your contact information, and click “Submit”
