A technical error led to incorrect trash fee billing for 87,000 San Diego property accounts; the city is correcting statements with refunds promised for overcharges.

SAN DIEGO — Eddie Cahan hadn’t yet checked his property tax statement to see whether he was affected by a citywide trash fee billing error, one that hit roughly 87,000 accounts across every San Diego City Council district.

“It’s just upsetting for all of us taxpayers because we put so much into it,” Cahan said.

The city says a technical data-transfer error sent incorrect trash fee amounts to the County of San Diego, showing up on the Solid Waste Management Fee line of about 87,000 online property tax statements. The city says it has since corrected the underlying billing data and provided the corrected information to the county.



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The error was not tied to any particular neighborhood or service level, the city says, but District 3, which covers the city’s Uptown neighborhoods, saw the largest share of accounts affected, with nearly two out of every three customers impacted. District 2 had the highest number of affected accounts overall, at more than 18,000.

Of the roughly 87,000 affected accounts, about 44,000 showed a fee higher than the correct amount, while the rest showed a fee lower than the correct amount, according to the city. Most overcharges were under $100, though 639 customers saw charges between $1,101 and $2,700 higher than the correct amount.

How to check if you’re affected

First, go to the County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s website and search for your property tax statement, then scroll to the Solid Waste Management Fee line to see the amount currently listed.

Next, go to WastePortal.sandiego.gov, create an account if you don’t already have one, and check the service level and fee listed in your account’s cost history. The city says the portal reflects the accurate fee customers should use to check their account.

Beginning Saturday, Sept. 26, corrected amounts will also be reflected directly on the County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s website, the city says.

If the numbers match, no action is needed.

The city says property owners will not be required to pay the higher, incorrect amount. Affected customers will receive a corrected property tax statement in the mail with an explanation of the error, and are encouraged to rely on the online information when making a payment.

The county is currently printing corrected statements, which will begin mailing to property owners in October, according to the city. No payment is currently due, the first installment of the property tax bill isn’t due until Nov. 1. The city says you don’t need to contact them. 

Taxpayers are entitled to a minimum of 30 days to pay a corrected bill without penalty, according to the County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office, which intends to mail corrected bills with enough lead time to give affected taxpayers more than 30 days before the Dec. 10 delinquency deadline.

If you’ve already paid your property taxes and were overcharged, the county will automatically issue a refund once the corrected amount is reflected in its system, no action is needed to receive it.

The city says these property owners may pay the amount currently listed on their statement, then expect a follow-up notice with instructions on how to pay the difference. No property owner will be required to pay more than the correct fee for their selected service level, the city says.

If you pay through an escrow or impound account

Most lenders receive digital tax roll updates automatically and will pick up the correction without any action needed, according to the County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office. Participating bulk payers will also be notified directly.

The city has not publicly explained what caused the data-transfer error or why some discrepancies were significantly larger than others.

More information is available at the city’s trash fee discrepancy FAQ page or at sandiego.gov/trash.

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