Editor, Gazette-Journal:

The county sent me a tax bill on June 5. I scheduled Bill Pay from my bank to send the tax money on the due date of June 30.

This week, the county charged me $81 plus 3 percent on my debit card to pay the late fee. This county letter was sent:

“Dear Taxpayer:

“Our office has received several inquiries from citizens who used their banks’ on-line bill payment service to make their tax payments. Virginia State Code requires that payments be received in our office by the installment due date in order to avoid penalty and interest. However, the Code allows an exception for mailed payments that are postmarked on or before the due date.

“The check that your bank mailed to us for your tax payment was received in our office after the June 30 due date with no postmark on the envelope. Since these envelopes did not bear a postmark, by law, they must be considered late payments. Any dispute you wish to make concerning the arrival of your payment after the due date must be made with your bank and/or their on-line bill payment processor. Unfortunately, this is not something they will allow us to do on your behalf.”

John Marino

Gloucester, Va.