MTM checks written from bogus account

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The payroll nightmare at My Town Media took another bizarre twist Wednesday night. After being told they could finally pickup up their paychecks for the April 16th payday, employees who took it to the bank found it was just another check they could not cash.

Matt Hildebrand took the check written from a Chase Bank account to one of the bank’s branches where he was informed the account number was invalid.

"The teller said it looked funny because of the odd number of digits," said Hildebrand. "He showed me his computer screen and it said the account did not exist."

"It is a fake check and they cannot even process it."

A My Town Media representative said the latest setback is the result of a clerical error in which a digit was inadvertently dropped while printing the checks.

Still, more trouble would be discovered causing even more frustration.

Workers were told they could pick up the corrected checks Thursday afternoon at the former location of My Town Media at North Lamar and 31st Street. But after two hours of waiting, about two dozen employees were informed the checks would not be issued because of an error in the company name.

Two printing errors in two days is a story some employees are not believing.

"It is a stall tactic," said Keith Adams. "They do not have the funds to pay us so this is all just a stall tactic."

Employees have been frustrated with the business which shut its doors April 16th and has a history of writing bounced checks including several in recent weeks.

Former My Town Media service representative Kiera Robison, 19, said her paychecks started bouncing in February.

"I'm just stuck unless I get $100,000 to fall out of the sky or something," said Roberson who is four months pregnant and has a toddler at home to feed.

She is behind on her car note, and Roberson has no money to cover May rent at her North Austin apartment complex. The manager told Roberson she will be evicted Monday if they do not have the money in hand. Roberson drove back home with a fourth of a tank of gas left in her car Wednesday, wishing she could meet My Town Media owner Christian Hunter face to face.

"I wish this man could see our lives, and what we have to go through," Roberson. "But I'm pretty sure he doesn't care."

In a blog posting Wednesday, Hunter said they hope to have the money owed from those bounced checks reconciled by the end of the month, but employees will be required to submit the bad check numbers and amounts to ultimately receive that money.

A U.S. Department of Labor spokesperson said the agency opened an investigation on My Town Media, but would not provide a timeline on how long possible action could take.

Several employees have filed complaints with the Texas Workforce Commission. An investigator will determine on an individual basis what wages should be paid.