Detroit sent hundreds of bad tax refund checks

DETROIT (AP) - Hundreds of people expecting a tax refund from Detroit got two identical checks for the same amount.

The problem: Only one check is good - and it’s not obvious.

The city is pledging to reimburse anyone who got hit with a bank charge after cashing a check that wasn’t valid. Bill Nowling, a spokesman for the emergency manager, tells The Associated Press it’s an “oversight” that shouldn’t have happened.

He says 924 bad checks were mistakenly given to a contractor to be mailed at the same time as the good ones.

Anyone with questions can call Detroit’s income tax department at (313) 224-3315.