Letter to the Editor: Local Government's Interest Rate Too High

Editor's note: The following letter was originally sent to State Senator Maralyn Chase.

Dear Senator Chase:

We feel we are being swindled by King County and/or Washington State.
It is partially our fault.  In April 2011 we paid the first one-half
of our 2011 property tax and put the bill for the second payment in a
drawer for payment in October and then we forgot and failed to make
the required payment.

I am over 80 years old and feel that this probably happens with many
others my age.  Now we are being fined $489.75 for our failure to make
the payment on time.  This calculates to be an interest rate. of
27.6 percent.  I consider this as usury.  My dictionary defines usury  as "an
unconscionable or exorbitant rate of interest".  I would expect this
interest rate from crooked bankers and loan sharks but not from my
local government.

In our case we will probably not miss any meals due to this
expenditure but in these tough economic times there are many who
probably could not make the payments on time that should not be
penalized by these usurious fees.  Please consider having these
unconscionable interest rates modified.

Sincerely,
Jim Adams

Lake Forest Park