Grace Refutes Criticism of Uncollected Taxes in Yorktown
Yorktown Supervisor Michael Grace defended his administration’s policy of dealing with delinquent taxpayers following a report from the town’s Tax Receiver’s Office that more than $5.6 million is owed to the town from unpaid property taxes.
Former Supervisor Susan Siegel, who was ousted from office six years ago by Grace, said 15 of the 229 parcels on an August 8, 2017 Delinquency Tracking Report have delinquent taxes dating back more than 11 years.
“The Town Board has spent time regulating the sale of puppies and the placement of chicken coops. It’s time the board did something to collect the millions of dollars owed in unpaid taxes,” Siegel said.
Siegel said one single-family homeowner in Yorktown owes more than $328,000 in taxes and was included in a 2010 foreclosure petition but the bill remains unpaid and the property has not been foreclosed.
She also called on town officials to follow-up with many taxpayers who have entered into “good faith” installment agreements with the town to pay off back taxes but have not been making their required monthly payments or paying their current taxes. She claimed only a small percentage of property owners with unpaid taxes have entered into such agreements. One of them is Grace, who in February entered into a pact with Receiver of Taxes Barbara Korsak to make monthly payments of $370 for 24 months to cover his tax bill of $11,840, which started piling up in 2013 for his property at 959 Hanover Street. Grace also made a down payment of $2,960.
Two years ago, Grace paid more than $29,000 in tax arrears after it was reported he had fallen behind on his home and law office, which is located across from Town Hall.
Grace said the town’s unpaid taxes were Siegel’s “little pet peeve” and maintained the amount owed “doesn’t really affect much.”
“A lot of it is paper debt. We collect everything eventually. What we don’t collect is probably next to nothing,” Grace said. “What we try to do is work with people, give them some relief from their hardship.”
Siegel suggested Yorktown should follow other municipalities and pass regulations that prevent development plans from being approved or building permits and certificates of occupancy from being issued unless all back taxes have been paid.
Grace scoffed at that notion, contending taking such action was “illegal.”
“It’s completely unconstitutional,” he remarked. “Not to say the town doesn’t do it, but it’s illegal.”
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