Why did I receive a 1099-misc for relocation expenses? (Not paid by employer)
We recently were forced to move our of our apartment building so it could be renovated. All tenants were required to move by a specific date. Under local regulations, the landlord or rental company was required to pay each unit (not individuals but one amount per apartment) a "relocation payment" the amount of which is designated by the local government. We received this check, which is intended to be used "for reasonable costs directly associated with temporary or permanent moves within or outside the property" according to the local regulations. No taxes were deducted from the check. But now we've received a 1099-misc for the same amount, listed as "non-employee compensation." This seems wrong to me since it was not an incentive (i.e. free rent to get us to move in) or an exchange for rent (i.e. we performed some kind of service). What can/should we do if the landlord won't rescind it? We didn't save the receipt from our movers since we weren't expecting this, and to be honest I don't think the company we used will have records if we called.