Motor Vehicle (Auto Title) Revenue & Receivables Audit Fiscal Office January 1, 2021- December 31, 2021

The Cuyahoga County Department of Internal Auditing (DIA) has conducted an audit of The Cuyahoga County Auto Title Department’s (Auto Title) processes and procedures relating to revenue and receivables from the administration of motor vehicle titles. The objective of DIA was to assess the adequacy, completeness, and accuracy of the revenue generation process for motor vehicles from beginning to collection. To accomplish the objective, DIA conducted interviews with management and staff regarding the procedures that various departments perform related to the life cycle of auto title revenue. The adequacy, completeness, and accuracy of Auto Title funds was assessed through a review of the payment collection process including safeguarding of cash, reconciliation process, disbursal of funds to outside parties, and the accounting for the Auto Title fund by the County. Audit procedures disclosed non-compliance with timely deposits of money received and deposit of overages. There was also a lack of approval of reconciliations and daily cashier balances. Recommendations DIA made for management include depositing overages daily in accordance with Ohio Revised Code section 9.38, increasing the frequency of deposit pickups at the Auto Title branches, approving daily reconciliations of revenue, and determining whether Auto Title funds should be classified in the Special Revenue Fund or continue being classified in the General Fund.