Town recoups back taxes

0
23

BEACON FALLS — The town has taken another step forward in collecting delinquent taxes.

In October the town recouped over $30,000 in delinquent taxes with the sale of two properties at auction.

Tax Collector Maryann Holloway said the first property at 280 Lopus Road sold for $20,694, which was the full amount of the taxes owed. The second property at 251-253 South Main St. sold for $12,784, which was also the full amount of the taxes owed.

Holloway said both the properties were purchased by JM Excavating, LLC, out of Shelton.

Though they were sold, Holloway said, the original owners of the properties have six months from the sales date to pay off all the taxes that are owed and the legal fees incurred by selling the property to be able to retain their respective property.

Once that date passes the deed of the property is given to JM Excavating, Holloway said.

Regardless of who ends up with the property the town has collected what it set out to collect.

“The town has already received the money and it has been taken off the books,” Holloway said.

The town will try to sell Lots 13 and 27 on Bear Hill Road in the same fashion, Holloway said.

The town is hoping to sell the property for at least $157,000, Holloway said.

The town had originally brought the property to auction in October, but since the party that owned the property, Point Center Financial, Inc., was based out of California the town was unable to move forward with the sale.

“Under California bankruptcy laws there were still certain things that needed to be done in order for us in Connecticut to auction that off. We hadn’t completed all of the hoops under California requirement for us to be able to move forward in October,” First Selectman Christopher Bielik said.

Bielik said the town plans to bring the property to auction on Dec. 11.

“We are anticipating all of those legal aspects of California bankruptcy law will be satisfied by the time we are ready to move forward,” Bielik said.

Holloway said the town is hoping to sell this property in December because the taxes owed on it stretch back to 2007. The town also doesn’t want to run into the limits placed the state statutes, which say the town can only collect taxes going back 15 years.

“Once real estate passes the 15 year we can not collect it. So it’s very important we get these things resolved in that 15 years,” Holloway said.