AIKEN - A significant number of billing errors in Aiken County vehicle tax notices are expected starting in November, although discrepancies are already popping up for county officials.

Aiken County Auditor Cyrus Spradley said the errors are the result of the state's new Phoenix computer system, recently installed by the Department of Motor Vehicles in its divisions.

"On this one in front of me, for example, A sold his car to B, but the tax notice is being sent to the previous owner," Mr. Spradley said.

He said the degree of error in each county could be as high as 20 percent and most likely will be based on outdated information the computer system interprets as current.

"We really don't know what the percentage will be," the auditor said. He said that's because many problems will be determined only after letters have been sent and complaints are filed.

South Carolina residents expecting to receive vehicle tax bills next month should look closely for discrepancies and call their local tax office if they have not received a bill.

For Aiken County, a 20 percent error rate could mean as many as 1,800 vehicle notices with some sort of flaw.

But Joan Beardsley, a spokeswoman with the Department of Public Safety, which oversees the motor vehicles department, said she expects the final error rate to be small. About 3 percent of the 6 million state vehicle registration files were not compatible for conversion to the new system, she said.

Ms. Beardsley said 110 million vehicle records of all types were transferred successfully to the Phoenix system.

But she said some of South Carolina's counties are experiencing more problems than others. She said 70,000 records were given incorrect county codes.

Mr. Spradley said residents should review their notices carefully because errors could be relatively small, such as the omission of the name of a leasing company, or they could be more problematic, with inaccuracies in the amount owed or even a wrong listing for who owes the money.

Project Phoenix was a five-year phased plan started in 1997 that was meant to "greatly improve services to the general public" and "bring the (DMV) and its technology into the 21st century," according to the DMV's Web site.

Mr. Spradley said that, so far, he's unimpressed.

"They didn't see all the ramifications all of their incorrect thinking would have," the auditor said. "The phoenix is the mythical bird that rose from the ashes. But all I see is ashes."

Augusta Chronicle

-- Anonymous, October 18, 2002