A Parryville resident asked the Carbon County Commissioners for help after what he referred to as a clerical error on his taxes a decade ago may now cost him his property.

Andrew Stettler approached the board on Thursday to see if they could help resolve the problem that was caused by what he said was a decimal point being moved in the assessment of a 40-foot by 150-foot parcel that he owns. The property is the site of a one-car garage and has no power or sewer, is not paved and is at a slope that does not permit for any residence to be built on the land.He said that the issue happened in 2005, when the assessment on the property jumped to $26,840, over $20,000 above the assessment in 2004. His tax bill also went from $77 to Lehighton School District to $458.At the time, Stettler said he was a "blind taxpayer" and paid the significantly higher tax bill without question, a task he did for the next eight years, until it was brought to his attention by former Parryville tax collector Penny Szoke.When he questioned the error in 2012, he was told that it was an assessment completed by a computer in the county tax assessment office and not by a physical property visit. He also never received notice of the change of assessment; nor did his home assessment, which is a different parcel number but under the same deed as the parcel in question, ever go up."This clerical mathematical error has cost me over $3,450 (in extra taxes paid) and possibly my home in a couple of months," he told the commissioners, noting that he owes some back taxes, which he feels should be covered by the overpayments. "A decimal point being placed in the wrong position has caused this problem. A refund or tax credit is due back to me."In April 2013, the Carbon County Board of Tax Assessment Appeals accepted Stettler's claims after he showed a private assessment of the parcel, and dropped the taxes back down for the 2014 tax year, but Stettler said he hasn't seen any repayment of the money he overpaid before 2014.Commissioners' Chairman Wayne Nothstein asked Stettler for any information he could provide in writing, which Stettler did at the meeting.Nothstein said that the board would have the county solicitor and tax assessment solicitor review the case and see if there is something that can be done to rectify the problem.In other matters, the county acted on the following items:• Accept the resignation/retirement of Craig A. Merluzzi of Palmerton from the Carbon County Planning Commission.• Approve the 2015-2016 subgrant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency in the amount of $57,354 for the victim/witness program.• Approve the appointment of Owen O'Neil, executive director of LANTA as the Carbon County Community Transit voting representative, and Brendan W. Cotter, director of planning and development/LANTA, as the CCCT alternate, to the Northeastern Pennsylvania Metropolitan Planning Organization Technical Planning Committee. The terms shall end June 30, 2016.• Approve the employment separation of Madison K. Heffelfinger of Jim Thorpe, as a part-time cleaning person, Buildings and Grounds, effective March 12.• Accept the resignation of Jessica L. Begor of Northampton, as an automation clerk in the Prothonotary office, effective March 11.• Hire Kasey M. Herman and Kendall J. Juracka, both of Jim Thorpe, as lifeguards, effective May 23.• Accept the change of status for Ashley L. Bartek of Lansford, from part-time dispatcher to 911 operator at the 911 Communications Center, effective March 30.