Reimbursement; due care required.

(a) The Lawrence County Commission shall reimburse the offices of the tax collector, tax assessor, revenue commissioner, license commissioner, and the judge of probate from the general fund of the county the amount of any monetary loss, not to exceed a total for each office of five thousand dollars ($5,000) per annum, arising or caused by error, if the mistake or omission was caused without personal knowledge, including loss arising from acceptance of worthless or forged checks, drafts, money orders, or other written orders for money orders, or other written orders for money or its equivalent.

(b) It shall be the duty of the tax collector, tax assessor, revenue commissioner, license commissioner, and the judge of probate to insure that their employees exercise due care in performing their duties and to make a diligent effort to correct the error, mistake, or omission and collect the amount subject to potential loss immediately upon becoming aware of the potential loss. This section shall not apply to any deliberate misuse or misappropriation of funds by the officials or any clerk or employee of the offices.

(Act 91-272, p. 513, §§1, 2.)