A Bell County official has some advice for property owners who have recently received letters from a company offering loans to pay off overdue taxes.

“It’s bogus. Throw it away,” said Marvin Hahn, chief appraiser for the Bell County Tax Appraisal District.

Hahn said the letter - written with exclamation points, underlining, and key words in bold, capital letters - alarmed several property owners who in turn called him.

Hahn said the company, Open Water Loan Services, had requested a list of all Bell County properties with overdue taxes. This is not unusual. He receives about three such requests per month.

The district is obliged to respond, Hahn said, because it is public information.

Yet the numbers on his books are a far cry from what Open Water is reporting to property owners in their solicitation.

“The numbers are grossly incorrect,” said Hahn. “Very, very wrong . . . certainly not the information we gave them.”

One letter sent out by Open Water said the addressee owed almost $10,000 in overdue property taxes. Hahn said the property owner recently owed a small sum, but today the balance is zero.

Hahn said he called the company and a woman apologized for any mistakes and said she would take a look at the numbers.

By late Friday afternoon, a phone message to Open Water was not returned. The company’s Web site lists locations in Houston and San Antonio.

Hahn said the company’s request for information came from Virginia.

A spokesman with the Central Texas Better Business Bureau said Open Water was not a member. They have received no complaints regarding the company.

Hahn said there are legitimate companies that offer loans to people who are behind on their taxes. But he suggests the district would like to work out a payment plan instead.

“We don’t have a desire to take anybody’s home at all,” Hahn said.