TOWN COUNCIL MAJORITY OFFICE
TAX POLICY COMMITTEE
APRIL 2, 2013
PRESENT William P. Horan, Jr., Chair; Councilors Marc Weinberg and Pat Harmon
ALSO Mike Walsh, Finance Director
PRESENT Ram Aberasturia, Councillor
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Horan called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
December 19, 2011
MOTION By Marc Weinberg
seconded by Pat Harmon
to approve the minutes of the December 19, 2011.
Motion carried 3/0.
OPPORTUNITY FOR RESIDENTS TO SPEAK
None
NEW BUSINESS
Tax Lien Sales
Finance Director Mike Walsh initiated a general discussion regarding the town’s proposal to conduct a tax lien sale. Mr. Walsh discussed the process by which property owners are notified and contacted by the town regarding their delinquent tax bills before their property is included in a tax lien sale, which is comprised of no less than seven steps including letters, legal notices, publications and the like. Mr. Walsh discussed the properties that are currently on payment plans (50), the properties in foreclosure (15), and the properties proceeding to tax lien sale (209).
The administration is seeking authorization to conduct a tax lien sale by way of a Request For Proposal (RFP). This would be the 11th or 12th tax lien sale held by the town and the process is continuously being refined. The motion includes the possibility for new delinquent taxpayers to get on a payment plan to avoid the sale of their tax lien.
MOTION By Marc Weinberg
seconded by Pat Harmon
to authorize the administration to conduct a tax lien sale by way of a
request for proposal (RFP) and to seek and receive sealed bids pursuant
to an invitation to bid on a number of tax liens held by the town on specific
real property as listed on a "delinquent report" produced by Finance
Director Mike Walsh originally dated January 18, 2013 and attached to a
memorandum from Mayor Leclerc to Rich Kehoe, Town Council Chair,
dated January 22, 2013, and amended as of April 2, 2013, subject to the
following four conditions:
- The Collector of Revenue shall notify the~record owner of each property subject to a lien that is to be included in the tax lien sale, by certified mail, that the lien is being included in the request for proposal and invitation to bid, and that~the owner should contact the Town immediately to pay the taxes or seek a payment plan if they wish to keep the Town's tax liens on their property from being sold;
- In order to qualify for a payment plan, the property owner must meet the following three criteria:
- They must remit 25% of the outstanding amount due
- They cannot have defaulted on a prior payment arrangement
- Their property must not have active property code violations;
- The letters from the Collector of Revenue to each property owner shall notify the property owner that the purchaser of the tax lien on their property shall have the right to foreclose on that property; and
- The Administration shall return to the Town Council with the results of the request for proposal and that the proposal for each tax lien must be approved by the Town Council before it is sold.
Motion carried 3/0.
ADJOURNMENT
MOTION By Marc Weinberg
seconded by Pat Harmon
to adjourn (6:24 p.m.)
Motion carried 3/0.
cc: Town Council
Mayor Leclerc
Mike Walsh, Finance Director
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