ALBANY, LA (WAFB) -
Thousands of dollars in tax refund checks have dozens of people up in arms.
They want answers as to why they haven't received checks, especially since some filed nearly a month ago.
"Just For You Services Too," claims to be tax specialists. They're based in Hammond with another office in Albany in Livingston Parish.
"I've been standing here since 9 a.m. this morning," said Taneisha Gibson, who is waiting on more than a $5,000 refund.
Starting early in the morning for the past two weeks, it's been quite the scene in Albany with dozens of people demanding answers.
"I'm trying to get my taxes. I filed last month on the 19th, and I still haven't got it," said Ronald Stolks, who says he's waiting on nearly $2,000 in refunds.
"IRS is saying my stuff isn't filed. I want to know what's going on," said Gibson.
"Just For You Services Too" opened its doors in Albany last month filing tax returns for many people in Hammond. WAFB was told, they've filed for about 900 people so far. But when those same people come to pick up their checks on the expected dates, they said they're getting the runaround.
"They told me to come back on the 1st. Then they told me to come back on the 8th, and now they told me the 15th," said Stolks.
The tax filers refused to talk on camera, but they said the reason so many people have not received checks yet is because they have a case overload here and that the IRS has not mailed out the refund checks just yet.
Derionna Fox, 23, who claims to be the owner of the company, spoke to WAFB's Kiran Chawla saying the IRS told her returns would be delayed. But if you read the fine print, it reads, refunds *E-filed between February 6 through the February 10th will be delayed by a week. Some customers, like Gibson, filed before then, and so far, no refund.
"Give me my papers. If she hasn't filed, I want my papers. What is the big hold up, and then half of it got shreds on the ground in the trash. Where's my papers at," said Gibson.
Fox told Kiran Chawla that she had already filed Gibson's return. Gibson said she later talked to Fox and that story allegedly changed.
"That Derionna, she said, 'I wasn't' (filing your return), that's why she gave me these papers back," said Gibson.
Livingston deputies and Albany police were out at the scene controlling the crowd for the past two weeks.
"This is my 34th year. We've never had a problem like this before," said Albany police chief Russell Hutchinson.
Fox told Chawla about 100 of the 900 people they filed for, have already received checks. When Chawla asked to see a list of those 100, she only saw a list with about 30 names.
When Chawla asked if Fox was keeping their money, she said, "No. We are paying the customers as soon as they get the money from the IRS."
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