I suspect most everyone read the article in the newspaper a couple of weeks ago and saw the lengthy list of properties up for tax sale, or at least heard about it.
I feel deeply for those homeowners who through no fault of their own find themselves in financial distress, behind in their taxes and facing loss of their property. Truly that is a tragedy.
However, I have a lot less sympathy for those homeowners who simply fail to be responsible and set priorities in their lives. We all know of people like that.
And I have absolutely no sympathy for those who make a business decision not to pay their taxes. They are stealing from all of us who do pay our taxes on time.
A hefty portion of the properties up for tax sale are rental properties, both housing units and business properties. A disproportionate share of those rental properties are owned by just a handful of individuals or other entities. You will find that in most cases a last minute payment will be made to prevent the tax sale.
The owners have been collecting rent, but they have not been paying the taxes that support the county, municipal and school district services and obligations drawn on by their properties and their tenants. The owners have made a business decision to use our money. I find that the equivalent of theft.
The rest of us including the vast majority of landlords who are responsible have to offset that loss or delay of income to the county, school district and city.
Those landlords who play that game have no shame. Being listed as a tax scofflaw in the newspaper doesn’t bother them in the least. I doubt much does.
About Me
- John Noel Bartlett
- Oil City, Pennsylvania
- A retired journalist now employed by the Foundation for Sustainable Forests and a member of Oil City Council.
Links of Interest
- City of Oil City
- Erie Blogs
- Foundation For Sustainable Forests
- Friends of Allegheny Wilderness
- Oil City Arts by Joann Wheeler
- Oil City Arts Council
- Oil City Southside Association
- Rebuild Oil City -- Scott Smail
- Venangago-go -- Mike Dittman
- Venango Area Chamber of Commerce
- Venangoland -- Peter Greene
8 comments:
By the time a property is listed for tax sale I believe that penalties and/or interest have been added to the original amount on the tax bill. So it's hard for me to see why a person wouldn't pay the bill when it's due if they have the money.
By waiting so long to pay the person owes more.
Yes, they pay more, but they have had the use of that money for two years or more.
I actually knew an individual who owned several properties in the 80 and 90s who bragged about annually banking his tax payment and only paying his taxes after the property was listed for sale. By doing that he came out ahead. I doubt with today's bank interest rates that would work, but the penalties for late payment are quite modest. I suspect there remain many investments and uses of the tax money that would be worth more than the additional penalties for late payment.
Like many people you seem to think that anyone who owns rental property is financially well off and cheating everyone in sight.
PS This is your delusion, not the truth.
Heavens NO.
I know full well that many, probably most people who own rental property are just average folks trying to get by.
I also know that most of them are responsible, including paying their tazes on time even when that is difficult.
FYI, my wife and I once owned rental property, so I do have some understanding of what landlords face.
"The owners have been collecting rent, but they have not been paying the taxes that support the county, municipal and school district services and obligations drawn on by their properties and their tenants."
If you know as much about rental properties as you say you do then you know that it is not unusual for tenants to fail to pay their rent. Or for the landlord to have to pay for repairs.
When a tenant fails to pay the rent it can take months to get them out of the property. Months during which there is n rent coming in. And when they do finally leave they leave the property a mess. If the landlord is lucky this mess will be only piles of trash that take an entire day to get out of hte place.
What do you have to say about Dave Reid on 7th St who had a bug problem with his neighbor's excessive number of pets?
Did council help him?
Why do landlords whine about their tenants and lament their troubles? Guess who cares? No one. If you don't like it, cant' make money at it, are frustrated by it - then get out of it. Just don't stick the City with your dump once you realize it wasn't the easy money you expected. There are several reputable landlords in town that do know how to do it successfully, but no, they are not and never will be rich from it. Oil City will NEVER command the rent at levels you would need to make any real money. Welcome to the real world whiners. No pity here.
I think we tried, I wish I could say we were more succesful.
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