4,000 get reminders they owe taxes

By John Howell
Posted 12/1/16

By JOHN HOWELL Four thousand property owners got a reminder in the mail over the past couple of weeks that they hadn't paid their taxes. The number of delinquent taxpayers is not considered extraordinary, but the fact that they got a letter outlining the

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4,000 get reminders they owe taxes

Posted

Four thousand property owners got a reminder in the mail over the past couple of weeks that they hadn’t paid their taxes.

The number of delinquent taxpayers is not considered extraordinary, but the fact that they got a letter outlining the taxes they owe and for what years is.

“It’s like a reminder,” said City Tax Collector Kyla Jones.

She explained the letters went out in two waves, the first on Nov. 10, followed by one on Nov. 16. The timing was planned so the collector’s office would not be overwhelmed with calls and could keep up with the posting of payments.

The response has been positive, with a steady flow of payments being made either in person, mailed to the city, mailed to the company that maintains the city lock box or online. Most of the delinquent notices are for bills sent in June of this year, but, said Jones, a few go back to 2013. The two-sentence letters simply note that city records show payments aren’t being kept current and list payments due by year. There is no threat or mention of the property being placed for a tax sale, which Jones would like to plan for next May.

She said another letter is planned for January. It would warn property owners the city could proceed with a tax sale.

Many of those receiving the recent letter aren’t aware they have fallen behind. Jones pointed out many property owners are accustomed to paying taxes as part of their mortgage. She said there have been cases where these people have added to their property and fail to realize those added taxes aren’t included in their mortgage payments.

Jones also noted that a number of the delinquents are faithful taxpayers.

“Some have never been late before and are subject to a waiver [of interest],” she said.

Property owners who have been current on payments for five consecutive years are eligible for a one-time waiver of interest charges. Forms are available in the tax collector’s office. However, by city law, the waiver can go no further back than two years.

While taxpayers may have missed the first quarterly payment due in July, Jones said her office really couldn’t send out reminders until after the second quarterly payment that was due in October. The reason, she explained, is because taxpayers have until September 15 to pay their taxes in full.

The effort to alert taxpayers before they reach the point of a tax sale was initiated after more than 2,500 property owners had their properties listed in a tax sale in 2014 for unpaid utility bills and taxes. Members of the council thought the city could be more proactive in collections. Carrying the process out to a tax sale adds $200 to $350 in legal and title search costs to the taxpayer’s expense.

In the case of utilities, a plan was adopted at the urging of Ward 5 Councilman Ed Ladouceur to shut off water in the case of unpaid sewer and water bills. Notices were sent out this summer to more than 950 property owners owing $1,000 or more in utility payments for a gross total of $3.5 million. Jones said that effort resulted in a flurry of payments and the establishment of 500 payment plans. The plans require a down payment of 25 percent of the balance, with the outstanding amount paid over a year in monthly installments.

Jones did not have a total on the amount of unpaid taxes represented by the recent mailing of 4,000 letters. She said that the city budgets on collecting 98 percent of the tax revenues it bills. Jones urged those making tax payments to write their bill number and/or parcel identification on their check memo.

The main goal of the campaign, she said, is to let property owners know they aren’t up to date on taxes before reaching that point of a tax sale.

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  • richardcorrente

    Are you kidding me?

    The letters went out on November 10th and November 16th for only one reason. The election was on November 8th and Avedisian, the career politician, didn't want to lose any votes!

    There were also a thousand people +- who owed over a thousand dollars on their water bill and thousands more who owed a little less. All these people HAD to vote for career politician Avedisian. He had a grip on them. Support me. Put a sign on your lawn (or business) for me or pay your bill. Simple, clever politics that I am proud that I never subscribed to and never would, but the career politician did. I accepted zero political action committee checks. Avedisian accepted 237 checks. (according to the board of elections). I would have been totally responsible to the taxpayers. Avedisian now will be and must be responsible to the 237 political action committees that got him elected. He is a career politician, through and through. I am not and never will be.

    I am proud to have earned the trust of 13,278 taxpayers. I didn't buy it, bribe it, or extort it. I earned it. It was the greatest experience of my life.

    Thank you all.

    Merry Christmas everyone.

    Rick Corrente

    P.S.I wonder what would have happened if those 4,000 letters went out BEFORE the elections like they could have, and perhaps should have. Hopefully, the voters will remember that in 2018.

    Saturday, December 3, 2016 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    Rick,

    I am flabbergasted that you have the unmitigated gall to make a posting about unpaid taxes. For 2 years you failed to pay your property taxes and mortgage at 177 Grandview Dr. resulting in tax sale and foreclosure. For the last 2 years you have lived there rent free and tax free and have the nerve to make such comments. During this time your property has been sold and re-deeded twice. So you can have George Babcock make all the continuances in your case, and it still will not change the fact that you will loose the trespass and eviction case that has been brought against you. You talk about letters going out after the election but you had your October hearing for trespass/eviction postponed to Nov. 16th. "Are you kidding me?"

    Here is my next prediction. I predict that shortly after inauguration day you will announce once again that you are running for office for the sole purpose to collect campaign donations to pay back the $35,893.18 that your campaign is in the hole for that you loaned yourself, during the time that you were unable to pay property taxes. Not everyone is asleep.

    Saturday, December 3, 2016 Report this