the city cashed both checks

Blake Galvin sold his Anchorage home at the end of June after his bank automatically paid his property taxes just before closing. Three days later, the title company handling the sale mailed the city an identical check for the same $3,600 tax bill, and the City of Anchorage cashed both payments.

Galvin did not notice the duplicate charge for weeks. When he asked the city for a refund, the answer was no.

The city's position is that property taxes attach to the property itself, not the person who happens to own it at the time. Because the total amount paid never exceeded the year's tax obligation, city officials say there is nothing to refund. The second payment was simply applied as the new owner's tax payment for the year.

City hall told Galvin to settle the matter directly with the buyer, since the municipality does not involve itself in private real estate transactions. Galvin says he is not trying to get anything extra, he just wants to pay his fair share and get the duplicate payment back.

Hilary Lockhart, a real estate agent who closes more than 100 Anchorage sales a year, says the situation is likely not unique to Galvin. She believes other sellers have probably been double-charged the same way during closings and never noticed the overlap between a bank's automatic payment and a title company's separate check.