Woman Loses Home Over $6.30

By Kara Seymour

A judge has ruled against a western Pennsylvania widow whose house was auctioned over $6.30 of unpaid interest, the Associated Press reported.

Judge Gus Kwidis ruled that the county’s tax claim bureau complied with legal notification requirements before Eileen Battisti's $280,000 home was auctioned in 2011, the AP reported.

In the decision, Kwidis turned down Battisti's request to reverse the sale of her home. Battisti plans to appeal the decision.

The property sold for about $116,000, the AP reported, however Battisti still lives in the home. She told the AP her husband, who passed away in 2004, handled all the paperwork for the home.

Battisti told the AP she didn’t know about the $6.30. But the judge said evidence indicates otherwise. 

"There is no doubt that (she) had actual receipt of the notification of the tax upset sale on July 7, 2011, and Aug. 16, 2011," the judge wrote, according to the AP article. "Moreover, on Aug. 12, 2011, a notice of sale was sent by first class mail and was not returned."

USA Today reported that the dispute was over school district taxes, penalties and interest for 2008. The newspaper reported that Battisti paid the taxes in May 2009, but because the payment was six days late $6.30 in interest was added.

Battisti claims she was not notified and the overdue interest, USA Today reported. The Beaver County Tax Claim Bureau states she was delinquent $234.72 when the home was sold in 2011.

The newspaper reported that Battisti paid the home off after her husband died, but struggled keeping up with the household finances and paperwork.