File #: 24-0293    Version: 1
Type: Agenda Item Status: Approved
File created: 2/2/2024 In control: Board of Supervisors
On agenda: 4/2/2024 Final action: 4/2/2024
Title: Chief Administrative Office, Emergency Medical Ambulance Billing Division, recommending the Board order the return of an erroneous deposit by Wittman Enterprises, LLC in the amount of $43,419.30; and recommending Auditor-Controller be ordered to issue a check for same. FUNDING: Ambulance Billing.
Attachments: 1. A - 1-31-24 Letter from Wittman CEO, 2. B - 1-8-24 Ambulance Billing Transactions, 3. C - 3-4-24 Release of Claims_Executed
Related files: 16-0518, 07-686
Title
Chief Administrative Office, Emergency Medical Ambulance Billing Division, recommending the Board order the return of an erroneous deposit by Wittman Enterprises, LLC in the amount of $43,419.30; and recommending Auditor-Controller be ordered to issue a check for same.

FUNDING: Ambulance Billing.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Wittman Enterprises LLC is retained by the Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance Billing Division to process the accounts receivable of ambulance service fees, including the depositing of those payments into an account for the benefit of the County. Wittman provides similar services to other clients. On January 8th, 2024, Wittman inadvertently deposited checks totaling $43,419.30 into the County’s bank account. The checks were for the benefit of a different client of Wittman and should have been deposited into that client’s account. Wittman, upon discovering the error, requested that the amounts be returned.
Government Code section 26906 provides that “Any money other than taxes erroneously paid into the county treasury may be returned to the person paying it in upon a warrant drawn by the auditor on the order of the board of supervisors based upon such voucher as shows proper evidence of the facts.” Wittman has provided a description of the events leading up to the erroneous deposit (attached as Exhibit A is a copy of Wittman’s letter dated January 31, 2024). It has been confirmed that the deposit was in fact erroneous (attached Exhibit B shows a variance between the amount deposited into the County’s Bank of America account on January 8, 2024, and the County’s revenue posted in Wittman’s accounts receivable records for the same day).

Based on these circumstances, staff recommends that the Board order that the funds be returned by issuance of a check (warrant) payable to Wittman Enterprises, for distribution to the proper recipient.

ALTERNATIVES
The Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office could attempt to have the bank reject a...

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