{
  "story": {
    "slug": "the-city-cashed-both-checks",
    "headline": "the city cashed both checks",
    "deck": "Anchorage cashed the same property tax payment twice, then told the seller a refund wasn't happening.",
    "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/story/the-city-cashed-both-checks",
    "section": "Housing",
    "area": "Anchorage",
    "published_at": "2026-08-16T20:00:00+00:00",
    "updated_at": "2026-10-02T06:15:03.846848+00:00",
    "body_md": "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.\n\nGalvin did not notice the duplicate charge for weeks. When he asked the city for a refund, the answer was no.\n\nThe 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.\n\nCity 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.\n\nHilary 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.",
    "sources": [
      {
        "url": "https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/08/11/anchorage-home-seller-out-36k-after-city-declines-property-tax-refund/",
        "label": "alaskasnewssource.com"
      }
    ]
  },
  "envelope": {
    "story_id": "91927e61-5c0e-495e-ad16-0ded683d202b",
    "slug": "the-city-cashed-both-checks",
    "summary": "Anchorage resident Blake Galvin's bank and his home sale's title company both paid his $3,600 property tax bill when he sold his home in late June. The City of Anchorage cashed both checks and refused to refund the duplicate, saying taxes attach to the property, not the person.",
    "key_facts": [
      "Blake Galvin sold his Anchorage home at the end of June",
      "His bank automatically paid his $3,600 property tax bill before closing",
      "The title company mailed the city an identical $3,600 check three days later",
      "The City of Anchorage cashed both checks and declined to refund the duplicate",
      "Real estate agent Hilary Lockhart closes more than 100 Anchorage sales a year and says other sellers may be affected"
    ],
    "faq": [
      {
        "a": "The city says property taxes attach to the property itself, not the individual owner, and since the total paid didn't exceed the year's tax bill, there was no overage to refund.",
        "q": "Why did Anchorage refuse to refund the duplicate property tax?"
      },
      {
        "a": "$3,600, the same as his original property tax bill that got paid twice.",
        "q": "How much money did Blake Galvin lose to the double payment?"
      },
      {
        "a": "City hall told Galvin to work it out directly with the buyer, since the municipality doesn't get involved in private real estate deals.",
        "q": "What does the city tell homeowners to do?"
      },
      {
        "a": "Real estate agent Hilary Lockhart, who closes more than 100 Anchorage sales a year, says it probably has happened to other sellers who never noticed the double payment.",
        "q": "Could this have happened to other Anchorage home sellers?"
      }
    ],
    "claims": [
      {
        "claim": "The City of Anchorage cashed two identical $3,600 property tax payments on Blake Galvin's home and declined to refund the duplicate.",
        "confidence": "sourced",
        "source_url": "https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/08/11/anchorage-home-seller-out-36k-after-city-declines-property-tax-refund/",
        "source_label": "alaskasnewssource.com"
      },
      {
        "claim": "The city's reasoning is that property taxes attach to the property, and the total paid did not exceed the year's obligation.",
        "confidence": "sourced",
        "source_url": "https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/08/11/anchorage-home-seller-out-36k-after-city-declines-property-tax-refund/",
        "source_label": "alaskasnewssource.com"
      },
      {
        "claim": "Real estate agent Hilary Lockhart closes more than 100 Anchorage sales a year and believes other sellers have been double-charged similarly.",
        "confidence": "sourced",
        "source_url": "https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/08/11/anchorage-home-seller-out-36k-after-city-declines-property-tax-refund/",
        "source_label": "alaskasnewssource.com"
      }
    ],
    "locations": [
      {
        "area": "Anchorage",
        "kind": "city",
        "name": "Anchorage"
      }
    ],
    "people": [
      {
        "org": null,
        "name": "Blake Galvin",
        "title": "Home seller"
      },
      {
        "org": null,
        "name": "Hilary Lockhart",
        "title": "Real estate agent"
      }
    ],
    "organizations": [
      {
        "kind": "government",
        "name": "City of Anchorage"
      }
    ],
    "event_dates": [
      {
        "date": "2026-06",
        "label": "Galvin's home sale closed"
      }
    ],
    "story_status": "reported",
    "what_changed": null,
    "keywords": [
      "anchorage property tax refund",
      "duplicate property tax payment",
      "blake galvin anchorage home sale",
      "city of anchorage tax policy",
      "anchorage home seller tax dispute",
      "hilary lockhart real estate"
    ],
    "disclosure": "Produced with AI assistance, narrated with Slav Lund's voice clone with his consent, and reviewed by a person before publishing.",
    "generated_at": "2026-10-01T05:21:12.915+00:00",
    "reviewed_at": null,
    "updated_at": "2026-10-02T06:15:03.846848+00:00"
  },
  "entities": [
    {
      "slug": "city-of-anchorage",
      "name": "City of Anchorage",
      "kind": "organization",
      "role": "subject",
      "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/codex/city-of-anchorage"
    }
  ],
  "corrections": [],
  "underwriting": null,
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    "@type": "NewsArticle",
    "headline": "the city cashed both checks",
    "description": "Anchorage resident Blake Galvin's bank and his home sale's title company both paid his $3,600 property tax bill when he sold his home in late June. The City of Anchorage cashed both checks and refused to refund the duplicate, saying taxes attach to the property, not the person.",
    "abstract": "Anchorage resident Blake Galvin's bank and his home sale's title company both paid his $3,600 property tax bill when he sold his home in late June. The City of Anchorage cashed both checks and refused to refund the duplicate, saying taxes attach to the property, not the person.",
    "datePublished": "2026-08-16T20:00:00+00:00",
    "dateModified": "2026-10-02T06:15:03.846848+00:00",
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      "@type": "Person",
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    "articleSection": "Housing",
    "keywords": "anchorage property tax refund, duplicate property tax payment, blake galvin anchorage home sale, city of anchorage tax policy, anchorage home seller tax dispute, hilary lockhart real estate",
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