Utah
Utah kept their tax refund, now they've filed a class-action lawsuit
SALT LAKE CITY — The photos show two right fenders twisted around each other.
One car was driven by Brea Quinn. She, her husband, Jensen Quinn, live with their two young children in Weber County.
An employee of the Utah Department of Corrections drove the other car. It was owned by the state.
Six years later, that fender bender on a residential street in North Ogden has skidded into a class-action lawsuit the Quinns have filed against Utah and its Office of State Debt Collection. The suit is about what happened after the accident – and what did not.
As the Quinns denied fault for the accident, Utah twice held onto the couple’s tax refunds, the state admits in court documents, without first obtaining a court order to do so and ignoring an appeal attempt.
“We estimate hundreds, if not thousands of Utahns that this has happened to,” said Karra Porter, an attorney representing the Quinns, in an interview with FOX 13 News.
Porter says she and her co-counsel personally know of other people who had their state tax refunds seized without a court order. The Office of State Debt Collection has not yet told the plaintiffs how often such seizures have occurred.
It didn’t tell FOX 13 News either, saying it had no data on the seizures, nor on how many people have appealed them or what the outcomes of those hearings were – the kind of data typically kept by other state agencies that entertain appeals.
Administrators of the Office of State Debt Collection also declined interview requests.
ADMINISTRATIVE GARNISHMENT
“They call it garnishment,” Porter says. “A legitimate garnishment is when a court issues an order and then you collect that way, maybe part of somebody’s wages or something.”
“This is just kind of a made-up garnishment – an ‘administrative garnishment,’” Porter said, using her fingers to put air quotes around the term, “where they just decided ‘we’re going to take somebody’s money.’”
You don’t need to get into a car accident with a state employee to have your tax refund seized. As the FOX 13 Investigates team was reporting this story, a station employee volunteered that his tax refund had been seized over an unpaid parking ticket in Salt Lake City. The city later provided a ledger showing each year it forwards hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid parking tickets to the Office of State Debt Collection.
Billy Hesterman, president of the Utah Taxpayers Association, which promotes fair and equitable taxation, told FOX 13 News he had never heard of a case like the Quinns’.
“As you look at it,” Hesterman said, “you feel like an individual has a right to due process and they’re not getting that at this time.”
Even in the case of unpaid parking tickets, Hesterman asked why the state can’t use the courts to go through the standard garnishment process.
DINGED
The car accident happened in 2019. Porter says the Corrections employee was backing out of a driveway and entered Brea Quinn’s lane.
“The state claimed it was Brea’s fault,” Porter said.
But the Quinns’ insurer investigated, Porter said, and determined, “‘I don’t think so. Your employee was in the wrong lane.’”
Ordinarily, a judge or jury would decide who was at fault. But in 2020, the Quinns received a notice from the Office of State Debt Collection that it was keeping the couple’s $255 tax refund. It was applied toward $7,353 the state said the couple owed for the car accident.
The notice gave the Quinns instructions for appealing to the office.
“If I feel like you owe me money,” Porter said, “I can’t just go take something of yours and then say, ‘Well ask me for a hearing.’”
“Even if I owed you money,” Porter added, “you can’t necessarily take my spouse’s tax [refund].”
An attorney for the Quinns filed the appeal. No one replied, according to court records.
Instead, the Office of State Debt Collection held the Quinns’ tax refund again the following year. This time it was $650.
The Quinns’ lawyer wrote another appeal letter. The debt collection office returned the $650.
But the Quinns were encountering a new problem. Since the tax refunds weren’t enough to cover that $7,353 the Office of State Debt Collection said the family owed, the office forwarded the case onto a private debt collector.
“So, then the Quinns start getting dinged by a private debt collector for this debt that had never even been established,” Porter said.
The Quinns filed their class-action lawsuit against the state in July of last year. The suit claims their due process was violated.
“The state tried to make it go away,” Porter said, “by offering the Quinns their initial money and later they offered more money with interest and then offered to pay the attorneys.
“But the Quinns are worried that this is happening to people everywhere.”
In a court filing, the Office of State Debt Collection has admitted to taking the Quinns’ tax refunds without a court order or appeal hearing, but the agency denied violating the couple’s rights.
Hesterman, with the Utah Taxpayers Association, said, “Maybe there needs to be legislation to look at protecting taxpayers in this way to give them the opportunity to at least make their case.”
HAS YOUR REFUND BEEN SEIZED WITHOUT A COURT ORDER?
The FOX 13 Investigates team wants to hear from you. Please email us at iteam@fox13now.com. Please attach a copy of your notice or notices. We would like to read the notices on the air.
To learn more about the class-action lawsuit, go to www.taxrefundclassaction.com. You can also contact your state legislators. When FOX 13 News attempted to ask legislators about this issue, several didn’t know tax refunds were being seized.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Environmental Protection Agency awarded Utah and Salt Lake County a total of $3.5 million in grants to assess potentially polluted properties for eventual cleanup and redevelopment.
The agency announced a $2 million grant to Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality and $1.5 million to Salt Lake County to conduct environmental assessments and inventory brownfield sites for cleanup. Brownfields are sites that may be difficult to redevelop or expand because of “the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant,” according to the agency.
“These brownfields grants will help Utah communities clean up contaminated sites and unlock opportunities for redevelopment and investment,” EPA Regional Administrator Cyrus Western said in a news release announcing the grants earlier this week. “By transforming underused properties into community assets, EPA is helping create healthier neighborhoods and stronger local economies.”
The two grants awarded to Utah and Salt Lake County are among more than $248 million awarded to nearly 200 communities nationwide for brownfield assessment and cleanup. Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality plans to focus the resources on several areas in Ogden, Heber City and Fillmore, among others, according to Bill Rees, who leads Utah’s brownfield cleanup program.
“What we do is work to secure the funding and then begin to reach out to our communities across the state, say, ‘Listen, there’s opportunity to do some assessment work in your community if you’re interested,’ and then work with our rural partners, work with our urban partners to see if there are sites that will fit that bill,” he told KSL.
The state has received similar grants in the past, and Rees said the money can help local governments determine what to do with ailing properties such as old schools, hospitals or private property that have gone to waste.
“Is there asbestos in it, or is there hazardous material in it? Or could there be something that’s impacting the soil or the groundwater, and a policymaker needs to make a decision?” asked Rees. “Knowledge allows you to make good decisions.”
The $1.5 million awarded to Salt Lake County is the largest brownfields assessment grant the county has ever received, according to a county press release.
“This grant is a real win for our communities,” said Mayor Jenny Wilson. “This funding will let us do vital environmental work on a larger scale and in more neighborhoods. It reflects exactly the kind of partnership between local and federal government that gets results for residents.”
The county grant funds will be used to help create cleanup plans in three areas, including a vehicle storage yard in Salt Lake City’s Ballpark Neighborhood, a 4.26-acre vacant lot in Millcreek and a small commercial building in Magna that was damaged during an earthquake in March 2020, according to the EPA.
Contributing: Don Brinkherhoff
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City issued red flag warning Friday morning as emergency workers continued to battle one of the state’s largest wildfires in its history.
The red flag warning, issued when critical fire warnings are occurring or imminent, was to be in place through midnight Saturday.
“This is the FIRST Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning issued in NWS Salt Lake City history. This is an exceptionally rare event,” the federal agency said in its warning.
A map of the area under the warning covered much of central and southwest Utah, with an area of the southwest, central and southern mountains also outlined as “particularly dangerous red flag.”
The particularly dangerous area includes the Cottonwood Fire, near the town of Beaver, which started Monday and had grown to covering almost nearly 71,000 acres by Thursday, 15 News reported. The fire forced evacuations.
The NWS warned that gusty winds and dry conditions would lead to rapid fire growth.
Utah also was dealing with the Iron Fire, which started June 19, and nearly destroyed the town of Eureka. The fire was about 27% contained Friday morning.
The fire danger led Utah Gov. Spencer Cox to issue executive order restricting fireworks statewide during the July 4 holiday, which marks the nation’s 250th birthday this year. The ban is in effect through July 5.
“Nothing about this decision was easy,” Cox said in a statement issued by his office Thursday.
“This is unlike anything we’ve seen in recent memory. We’re seeing fires spread farther and faster under conditions that defy historical expectations” Jamie Barnes, Utah state forester and director of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, added in the statement.
Cox allowed cities and local communities to set aside areas where fireworks could be safely used. The city of Provo announced it would enforce a citywide prohibition on fireworks and would not designate a safe area for fireworks.
“This year is different,” Provo Mayor Marsha Judkins said in a statement. “The wildfire danger facing our community is real, and protecting lives, homes, and our natural spaces must come first.”
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Earlier this month, 2News Investigates brought you a former inmate’s federal lawsuit alleging Utah Department of Corrections leaders failed to address reports of alleged sexual assault by correctional officers. Now, 2News Investigates examines another key claim in that lawsuit.
MORE: Federal lawsuit alleges Utah prison leaders covered up guards’ sexual assaults on inmates
The lawsuit alleges a mass cross-gender strip-search operation – women being viewed by men was intended to further silence female inmates.
Federal law generally prohibits cross-gender strip searches of female inmates except during emergencies or when conducted by medical personnel. UDC says that during body-search procedures, male correctional officers are not allowed in the immediate area and inmate privacy is maintained. Former inmates say that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Three former inmates agreed to speak with 2News Investigates but asked that their identities not be revealed.
“It was very traumatic.”
According to the lawsuit, on May 13, 2025, UDC carried out a large-scale operation known as a “reset” in women’s housing units at the Utah State Correctional Facility (USCF) in Salt Lake City.
Wendy: “They call it a reset. What do you call it?”
“A violation.”
“It’s like a rape.”
The lawsuit alleges UDC Deputy Warden Derick Zorn and Warden Sharon D’Amico directed the operation, along with more than a dozen members of the Critical Incident Response Team, or CIRT.
According to the plaintiffs, officers stormed dormitories, shouted profanities, and issued conflicting commands.
The women say and the lawsuit states they were ordered to pack their belongings into totes and change into state-issued uniforms in front of male CIRT officers. They were then marched to the Emerald Building for processing.
“It felt almost like we were at a concentration camp.”
The lawsuit alleges the women were required to undergo body scans and then strip completely naked. Plaintiffs claim they were ordered to lift their breasts, spread their buttocks, and cough while visible to male staff.
Women who were menstruating allegedly were instructed to remove menstrual products in full view of others.
“Just use one hand to remove it. Hold it up in front of you.”
“I felt really small and worthless.”
The lawsuit alleges some women were forced to hold soiled menstrual pads while performing physical maneuvers.
“I just did what I was told. I just wanted to get it over with.”
The plaintiffs also claim they were required to sit on toilets or squat to provide urine samples while completely naked and visible to male officers.
“It was humiliating. It was degrading.”
The lawsuit further alleges cell doors were left open, exposing naked women to other inmates and male staff.
An overhead observation booth with reflective glass overlooked the strip-search area. Plaintiffs say they observed movement inside and believed they were being watched from above.
The lawsuit alleges the female inmates were being watched from above during a mass strip search on May 13, 2025
“I could see in the overhead, the two-way mirror. There were multiple men walking around up there who had direct vision inside those cells.”
The lawsuit alleges Captain Jared Beers and Lieutenant Matthew Coombs were inside the booth and that Deputy Warden Derick Zorn observed women in various states of undress.
“I made eye contact with Officer Arroyo, and I also saw Deputy Zorn.”
“I knew if I could see the male officers, they could see me.”
One former inmate described the experience as state-sanctioned sexual violence.
“When that happens, and you’ve gone through the same kind of thing as a child, it’s very traumatic.”
The lawsuit alleges Warden D’Amico knew male officers were viewing naked female inmates and “ratified, condoned, and failed to stop it.”
An allegation in the lawsuit filed on May 15, 2026
“You’re pretty much a hostage.”
UDC Executive Director Jared Garcia declined repeated requests for an on-camera interview. A letter sent said:
“During the body search process in female living areas, male correctional officers are not allowed in the immediate area, and privacy is maintained. In general, resets are conducted routinely, according to UDC policy and under strict protocols designed to ensure safety while also preserving the privacy and dignity of incarcerated individuals.”
“The manner matters.”
Walter Mason represents the plaintiffs.
He told 2News Investigates, “The law protects inmates from being exposed to members of the opposite sex viewing their naked bodies unless there’s an emergency. Unless there’s what the law calls an exigent circumstance, the prison can take necessary actions to protect safety. There was no emergency. There was no exigency.”
UDC says the reset involved approximately 150 trained staff members and was conducted according to department policy.
UDC’s letter goes on to say:
“Every effort was made to treat belongings with care and document confiscated items appropriately. UDC stands by our methods and policies, which are intended to maintain the highest standards of integrity, safety, and efficiency during the reset process.”
Written response from the Utah Department of Corrections regarding 2News investigations
I asked UDC whether any exigent circumstances existed on May 13, 2025, during the reset operation.
The response:
“No exigent circumstances occurred on May 13, 2025.”
I also requested information about what items were confiscated. UDC said it could not provide a specific list.
Response to questions posed by 2News Investigates to UDC regarding mass strip search and if exigent circumstances existed that day
The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and accuses the defendants, all supervisors, of participating in a “coordinated effort to humiliate, mock, and psychologically degrade the plaintiffs … operating with a brazen and intentional disregard for clearly established law, fueled by an institutional custom of impunity.”
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