INDIANAPOLIS -- The Bureau of Motor Vehicles announced Friday that they have paid out $28.75 million in refunds to customers who were overcharged.
The nearly 5-million customers received their refunds by way of credits to their BMV accounts.
“Customers who were overcharged will find credits on their accounts that can be applied to their next transaction, or they can request a check from the BMV,” said BMV Commissioner Kent Abernathy. “We are currently determining the most efficient ways to contact customers about their refunds, including email notification, postcards, and online notification through BMV’s website.”
The refunds were paid out over the past few months.
The BMV said in their release Friday morning Irwin Levin and his firm Cohen & Malad, LLP, filed a court order ‘demanding that BMV take back one-third of the refunds it has already provided to customers who were overcharged. Mr. Levin wants that money “set aside” for him and his firm.’
“BMV has been issuing refunds since before the current lawsuit, which Mr. Levin claimed was filed to benefit BMV’s customers. Mr. Levin also claimed to be representing the best interests of Hoosier taxpayers. This request for the court to order BMV to take money away from those same taxpayers flies in the face of Mr. Levin’s claim to be representing their best interests,” said BMV General Counsel Adam Krupp. “It is stunning and inappropriate for Mr. Levin, or any lawyer, while claiming to represent Hoosiers’ best interests, to directly seek to take money out of Hoosiers’ pockets,” Krupp added.
Levin said he takes exception to the news release’s tone. “As every Hoosier knows, with the BMV truth is a random event,” he said.
Levin claims that the BMV had originally claimed to have paid out all possible refunds in 2014, and they have fought the class action lawsuit since that day, denying additional overcharges.
“Everyone knows not a penny would have been paid by the BMV without these class action efforts,” Levin said. “We have not asked the BMV to stop paying people. We've asked that they follow the law.”
Customers choosing to receive a check for their refund instead of a credit applied to their next transaction can visit myBMV.com.
You can check to see if you qualify for a refund by at the BMV Fee Overcharge Refund Check Request at BMV.com
