Two years ago, I spent six months on unemployment working part time driving a school bus until I found better full-time employment driving a truck for Lowes. Today, I’m being investigated for improper reporting to the unemployment office during that long ago time. They want $2800 back. So far, I’ve spent a full 6 hours researching and putting my paperwork together and have found that the investigation is due to their incompentency.
Many of their numbers have been entered incorrectly, i.e., the very first week driving a bus, I received $20.60. They entered it in their system as $200.60. They also have me receiving income from Lowes in April 2003. I didn’t start working for Lowes until June 2003. Seven out of ten numbers have misplaced digits. I’m so perturbed about it, in the back of my mind, I wonder if it’s intentional. In the least, the term “Idiots” comes to mind.
Anyway, back to the subject line. During my pouring over old paperwork, I discovered a 2003 paycheck from Lowes for $1032.68 that I never deposited. Now the word “Hallelujah” comes to mind. The check’s in the bank this morning. It’ll be interesting to see if anything ever comes of the two year old money.
Don’t know. I didn’t see anything on the check that said something about being void after a period of time, so I deposited it. I assume Lowes Home Improvement Warehouse has the money in the bank to cover the check.
I had that happen to me once when I worked in retail electronics. I found a paycheck over a year old. It had expired, so I had to go back to my old place of employment to have them reissue it.
When I asked my old manager if this had ever happened before, I got a funny look followed by “No Mike, most people CASH their paychecks”
I’m much more interested in what John Childs finds in his pockets. I’ll bet every once in a while he reaches in and pulls out a 36" chain saw or a 10 ton hydraulic jack or a riding lawn mower and says, “I wondered where I put that, it wasn’t in the Winebago on the last ride.”
Re: Ever find an old $5 in a pants pocket? This is better!
Congratulations on the “bonus” income. What a surprise that the unemployment office is staffed by incompetent people who can’t do third grade arithmetic. Quit shocking me.
My only thought is that it was in the transition between weekly paychecks and going to direct deposit. Thing is if it hadn’t been for the unemployment audit, I never would have found it. Gotta only have love for 'dem unemployment folks!
I just talked to my bank who said that checks are usually only good for six months. We’re just going to wait to see if Lowes accepts the check. If not, Lowes will send it back to my bank and the bank will take the funds back out of my account. Then, I’ll have to go to Lowes to get the check reissued. Only danger is that should the bank have to remove the funds from my bank account and it creates an overdraft, I would be charged overdraft fees. At this point, it shouldn’t be a problem.
It sounds like your IL unemployment bean counters and our King County (WA) Elections Department ballot counters are from the same shallow end of the gene pool. Neither set of civil servants seems to do well when it comes to ciphering numbers . . . which is almost their entire job description.
Tom
PS - For the latest details of the continuing saga of our last election for WA Governor, see:
I’ve done the research and am drafting my letter to Ms. Gonzalez. As much as I want to chew her up a little, my opening line of the letter goes like this:
Dear Ms. Gonzalez,
Thank you for your recent Notice of Audit letter and Overpayment Detail sheet. I am sending this timely response to provide you with more accurate detail of my employment and income during the period in question.
Once again, Mr. Carnagie comes to the rescue, “You don’t get honey by tipping over the beehive.”
My checks say void after 180 days. I cash mine on my lunch brake right after I get it. Where I’m working now you get a check every friday instead of bi weekly.
20 years ago I had a big time salaried job that paid the equivalent of $6 per hour. I had just moved to Portland and was living completely on my own for the first time.
I blew off doing my 1040EZ that year and started getting nasty-grams from Uncle Sam. I started to notice some small print at the bottom of each notice that said “you have a credit of…”. I had no idea what that meant.
I eventually did my taxes, probably incorrectly, and ended up with a substantial refund. Probably less than $1,000 but a bunch of money nevertheless when you don’t have pot to p*ss in or a window to throw it out.
Moral of the story:
If you don’t do your taxes on time you probably have money coming to you.
