Foreclosure Workshops In Pataskala
December 16th, 2008
Like all other government bodies Pataskala city is trying to find out how tax-delinquency foreclosures on private houses can be avoided. Last week the City Council held a meeting with the treasurer of Licking County, Michael Smith. Smith detailed them on the taxes due from 2007. He reported that the taxes of 2007 were being collected in 2008. Smith said, “This (back tax collection) has not changed much in the last few years. It’s not as grossly exaggerated as you would think.”
The report submitted by Smith showed that the residents of Pataskala together owed the city $895,295.44 as taxes. He did not break it up into individual dues. Also not included were smaller amounts due to erroneous entry in cheques and other sundry fees.
The taxes collected by the city are used for funding schools and fire services of the county. Smith complained that Pataskala was not getting its due full share of the revenues because of delinquency. However penalties and interest are collected in case of such failures. It is calculated the city will be short by $55,000 or $65,000 because of these delayed payments. The list submitted to the council did not include the list of all the repossessed houses in the city. Apart from the government, the mortgage companies and lenders also foreclose on borrowers.
Smith says that the county administration resorts to foreclosures as a very last resort when all other means have failed. By law the county has to offer the owners at least one payment opportunity before foreclosing.
The office of the treasury hired Jay Morrow to deal with the collection of delinquent taxes. Morrow wants to communicate with the people first, so as to allow them payment options – considering the bleak economic climate the country is experiencing. The situation is getting worse with unemployment on the rise. Morrow has mailed letters to 300 people in Licking County who are in the red for $5,000 or more. Since taking the job last September he has collected $46,000.
Steve Butcher, the Mayor of Pataskala said many of these in serious financial crisis might not open the mail. He added that the city is planning to hold a foreclosure workshop to alert the residents about the dangers of foreclosures. The workshop will be held on 2nd February 2009 at the Pataskala City Hall in tandem with Licking County Save Our Homes Task Force as well as Licking County Chamber of Commerce.
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