Kayla Jones has run city tax sales long enough to know too many people wait until the last moment to pay up or make an arrangement to save their property.

And now that certified letters went out informing delinquent tax and utility payers of the May 26 tax sale at Warwick City Hall, the phones are ringing. She said at this point about 1,000 parcels of property have been identified for the sale. But in order to list the properties, the city has had to notify hundreds more lien holders. She estimated a single property could have as many as eight lien holders, which, of course translates into more inquiries and more calls.

Yet, this year isn’t as bad as some. Overall, she said, there are fewer properties listed for sale.

She attributed this to a couple of factors – the hot real estate market of the past couple of years and a federal program designed to help out low income people who have fallen behind on their water and sewer bills. Both the water division and sewer authority are operated by the city and when these payments are considered delinquent, the city lumps them into the tax sale with the property.

With more than 100 single family Warwick homes selling every month for the past two years – that has dropped in the last two months – there are fewer single family home owners who have fallen behind on their taxes. Jones explained that in order for a home sale to be completed, the taxes and utility bills must be paid in full.

“That helped,” Jones said of the high volume of property transactions.

She touts the federally funded utility payment program as a tremendous help to eligible taxpayers. Those payments can take people off the list and in many cases take them off the tax sale. In February alone, she pointed out, approximately $30,000 in federal payments were made on past due utility bills.

“They’re hitting a good number of people. It’s a great program,” she said.

Joslyn Groves, Westbay Community Action director of social services said LIHWAP (Low Income Housing Water Assistance Program) provides up to $500 for water and another $500 for wastewater assistance payments. To be eligible applicants can’t make more than 60% of the state median income.

So far this year 1,203 households in the Westbay coverage area that includes Warwick, West Warwick, East Greenwich and Coventry have used the program, Groves said.  Unlike the low income heating assistance program, which closes May 1, LIHWAP is open year round.  This is the second year the program has been available and as it becomes known, Groves believes more people will seek assistance.

She urged people who are having trouble with their water and sewer bills and may even be facing having their water shut off to call Westbay Community Action.

Even if people think they may not be eligible for LIHAP, she urged “Call us and we’ll go through the numbers.”

Not only are tax sales detailed and cumbersome work for city tax collectors, but they are costly for the taxpayers seeking to avoid them. The process begins about 90 days prior to the sale with delinquent notices and a warning of the upcoming sale. That starts a legal title search triggering a $200 fee on the account.

The tax sale ad listing all the properties is scheduled for publication in the May 4 edition of the Warwick Beacon. Jones said those notified their property is scheduled for sale have up until April 25 to pay the amount due, or make arrangement for a payment schedule or the notice will appear in print.

Considering the 16 years she has been in the department and the seven years she has been the collector, Jones said the trend has been for smaller tax sales and if there was no tax sale, “well, that would make me happy.”