Putting $300,000 in the win column for consumers

This year’s complaints ranged from pandemic-related issues to ‘equity theft’ to refunds slow to materialize

People pumped gas at a downtown Los Angeles gas station where a gallon cost over $6 on Dec. 10.FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

As 2021 draws to a close, it’s customary here at The Fine Print to take stock of how we’ve done helping consumers get money due them.

And, as the pandemic kept a tight grip on us for a second year, we also tried to provide guidance on navigating the financial troubles it has wrought.

First, the tally. This past year, TFP recovered more than $300,000 for consumers, topping the 2020 tally of $210,000.

Since the column began in June 2017, it has helped recover more than $600,000 on behalf of consumers, in amounts ranging from less than $100 to the biggest one so far: two brothers who came close to losing $255,000.

The column also aimed to help consumers steer clear of the kinds of phone scams that seemed to surge in tandem with COVID cases.

And it offered advice on the tax consequences of accepting government assistance during the pandemic and what to do if you were behind on your mortgage because you lost your job.

With inflation cutting deeply into household budgets, we suggested tips on how to save money on groceries and gas, and how to reduce the cost of heating your home.

And as, always, the column took up the causes of individual consumers in disputes related to the pandemic, leading to refunds to travelers or would-be travelers of more than $46,500.

But the biggest recovery for 2021 involved Mark and Neil Mucciaccio of Easton who had fallen behind on the property taxes on the house they inherited. As a result, a private company had swooped in and purchased the municipal tax title lien on the property for a modest amount.

That company, Tallage Lincoln LLC, was in the late stages of evicting the brothers and their families when a small libertarian public interest law firm, the Pacific Legal Foundation, based in California, called here looking for help.

The Foundation said Massachusetts is one of only about a dozen states that allows municipalities — and the companies that purchase their liens — to reap windfalls when they take properties from tax delinquents.

It’s a practice some call “equity theft,” because it allows lienholders to keep whatever equity there is in a property after they kick out the previous owners and pay back taxes, interest, and fees.

In the case of the Mucciaccios, that meant a potential loss of $255,000 in equity.

But a judge ultimately ruled the Mucciaccios could keep their house after they got a loan from a family member to pay the back taxes. Pacific Legal Foundation continues its campaign to ban such takings.

Another column focused on two couples who had paid $45,000 for a once-in-a-lifetime safari to Africa. But their travel company, Boston-based Vantage, canceled the trip due to COVID and then gave the couples the run-around on a refund for almost 18 months.

I contacted Vantage to find out why it had the money to launch a new $70 million luxury cruise ship but not to provide the refund it promised to Theresa Stablewski of Danvers, her sister, and their husbands. Vantage then paid up.

I also came to the defense of three sisters and two friends from Dorchester. They planned a special trip to Hawaii, but it was ruined when the state of Hawaii refused to allow two of them into the state upon their arrival in Honolulu.

It turns out the Dorchester group had gotten tested for COVID at a perfectly good testing site, but not one approved by Hawaii as a “trusted partner.” It became a bureaucratic nightmare, made worse by Hawaii Air’s false assurances to the group as they left Boston that they would encounter no problems when arriving in Hawaii.

Hawaii Air eventually, and grudgingly, refunded $1,500 in airfare to the two who were sent home.

Now, about those scams, which will no doubt persist into 2022. Here’s some timeless advice: Don’t get fooled.

Imposter scams — in which perpetrators try to swindle consumers by saying they are calling from a utility, government agency, or other entity — are the most common type reported to the Federal Trade Commission.

If you get a call threatening shutoff of your gas or electricity, just hang up. Think carefully before giving personal banking information over the phone. If you have doubts about a call, talk to someone you trust before sharing information. If you don’t know where to turn, call the police.

Text messages and e-mails can also be dangerous. Do not click on an embedded link unless you are sure it is from a trusted source. Such links often take you to a webpage that looks legitimate, like Amazon, but in reality has been created by the scammers to trick you into giving personal information.

And, as for the tax consequences of governmental assistance, remember that any stimulus checks you received are not taxable, but unemployment is.

If you get behind on your mortgage, the most important thing to do is open a dialogue with your lender or the servicer of your mortgage. Try to work out a repayment plan that includes temporary protection from foreclosure, ruined credit, and late fees.

There is also federal money available, not only to help with past-due mortgages but also for past-due utilities. But navigating the system isn’t always easy, and some in need of assistance may not be aware of available resources. (If you or someone you know needs help, one good source is the network of community action agencies arrayed across the state. Here’s a list that includes the names of the action agencies for every city and town in the state.)

And about stretching your budget in the face of inflation: be proactive. Supermarkets and warehouse stores compete fiercely for customers by offering a variety of sale prices, coupons, and rewards programs. If you’re not using rewards programs, you are leaving money on the table. You may want to download their apps.

You can also save on gas by taking advantage of rewards programs.

As for heating costs, the biggest, quickest savings come from turning down the thermostat (and maybe putting on a sweater). The US Department of Energy recommends setting your thermostat at 68 degrees or lower when you’re home and awake, and 60 degrees when nobody is home or you are asleep. That alone could save you 10 percent, the DOE says.

Let me know how I can help in 2022 by sending me an e-mail at [e-mail].