By Scott MacKeen
Staff Writer
9/10/09
The town is going after property owners who owe back taxes.
According to Town Treasurer James McAuliffe, the total amount in unpaid taxes in Milton is about $2 million. That accounts for 86 residents on the town’s tax title list, those who have not paid for at least a year and a half, the treasurer said. He explained that a few of those cases go back to the mid-1990s.
“That’s just not right. You’re cutting policemen and firemen ... you just passed this huge [$3.4 million] override ... you have to pay your taxes. It’s not fair to the people who do,” he said.
McAuliffe, who was elected as treasurer in the April town-wide election, said he is particularly focused on five residents who owe the most in taxes.
“These five people make up over $600,000... that’s a third of the $2 million [in outstanding taxes],” he said. “These are the five biggest deadbeats in town. Most of them [live in] nice houses, in the best part of town.”
McAuliffe explained that previous Treasurer Kevin Sorgi had “tried and tried” for years to get these individuals to pay taxes, but with no success. He told the Warrant Committee Sept. 2 that the town is now seeking legal action against the five.
“There are a few of them who are really thumbing their noses at the town,” said McAuliffe. “Some people just don’t want to pay taxes and we go after them.”
Meanwhile, McAuliffe said he understands people are facing hard times right now, accounting for the high number in unpaid taxes. He said some of them are seniors who live on fixed incomes.
“You have to have a heart. Obviously, there are extenuating circumstances out there. People are struggling. Some people, you know they’re going to pay up. The town can wait a year or two. But when you haven’t paid your taxes since 1995, you’re not just getting a letter in the mail.”
The treasurer has a budget of just $10,000 per year to manage tax titles.
“We can’t go after all 86. That’s just not practical,” McAullife said.
The town has thus far collected just over $200,000 of the $2.5 million in outstanding taxes.
For the 2008 tax year, 36 residents owed roughly $145,000 in unpaid bills. The list was published in the June 11 issue of the Milton Times.
“Seven of those people have paid up, and a few others are in the process of paying. A couple of them are elderly [residents] and their houses are in the process of being sold. So those ones will clear up soon,” McAuliffe said. “But these aren’t the big-timers. These people are just a year behind. We don’t take a home from someone who owes $600.”
He said the town keeps tabs on residents who don’t pay taxes for a year or two before taking the next step.
“We continue to try to collect from the rest of them. We send letters to any mortgage company that might be involved to let them know the asset is in trouble. For those who continue to [not pay taxes] for a few years, the amount starts to add up and we go after those people.”
As for the five who owe the most in taxes, McAuliffe said they will be receiving letters in the mail from lawyers for the town. If that doesn’t work, the town would bring them to land court in attempt to have the properties foreclosed upon, he said.
“That’s when it starts costing the town real money, and at that point you have to move forward. It’s usually a nine to 10 month process to [reach a Land Court settlement] and have the property sold at auction,” he said.
The Times made attempts to have the five names revealed for this story. McAuliffe said the residents have yet to be officially notified by the town and said he would “like to notify them before they read about it in the newspaper.”
The Times has requested under the Public Documents Act that the names be revealed.