Norwegian oil company sues Marshall County over taxes

MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. (AP) — A Norwegian oil company that overpaid its property taxes by almost $350,000 is suing after Marshall County denied it a refund.

Statoil sued Marshall County Assessor Chris Kessler and West Virginia State Tax Commissioner Mark Matkovich after county commissioners declined its refund request by a 2-1 vote in June, The Intelligencer (http://bit.ly/2aWNCiY) reported.

The company said the overpayments were the result of a clerical error, stemming from a difference in reporting estimated rather than actual production figures. But Kessler argued that the company's failure to double-check and catch the error in a timely manner amounts to negligence.

"I believe the evidence that we presented speaks for itself," Kessler said. "There was ample opportunity and ample timeframe that the clerical error should have been caught and corrected."

Bob Miller, commissioner who voted to give back the money, said it's not right to hold onto overpayments.

"They weren't trying to cheat us out of money," he said of Statoil. "It's in excess of what they should have owed. Everyone hates to give up the money, but it's not our money, in my opinion."

Hearing dates for the trial have not been set.

Statoil said other counties also have denied its refund requests — for $2.9 million in Ohio County and $1.4 million in Wetzel County, and Brooke County commissioners have yet to rule on a $1.8 million refund there. The company has not yet sued in these cases.

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Information from: The Intelligencer, http://www.theintelligencer.net

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