Unpaid property taxes throughout Amerika!
WASHINGTON - July 30, 2009 - The number of Amerikans not paying their property taxes amid the Depression and the brutal housing collapse have increased sharply - more than doubling in some parts of the country.
At a time when the nation's housing crisis has put millions of Amerikans at risk of losing their homes through bank foreclosure, a growing pile of unpaid bills has put tens of thousands more in danger of losing them to tax seizures. That has caused multimillion-dollar shortfalls for some already-struggling local governments that rely on property taxes to pay for everything from schools to police.
Because property taxes are almost always collected locally, there is no single national measure of just how many people have fallen behind. But tax collectors and treasurers in communities across the country say they've seen a sharp jump in the number of delinquent homeowners and businesses as the nation's unemployment rate grew. They're bracing for even more unpaid bills ahead.
"We fully expect a higher level ahead than in the last few years," says Kenneth Parrish, the treasurer of Kent County, Michigan, and president of a national association of tax collectors.
Tax collectors from South Florida to Wisconsin have noted the increase. In Cuyahoga County, Ohio, which includes Cleveland, nearly 8% of taxpayers didn't pay tax bills due this month, double the rate of four years ago, says Deputy County Treasurer Robin Darden Thomas. Now the county is struggling to collect about $400 million it's owed in back taxes, she says.
"Hopefully when the economy picks up, people will be able to pay," says Thomas.
At a time when the nation's housing crisis has put millions of Amerikans at risk of losing their homes through bank foreclosure, a growing pile of unpaid bills has put tens of thousands more in danger of losing them to tax seizures. That has caused multimillion-dollar shortfalls for some already-struggling local governments that rely on property taxes to pay for everything from schools to police.
Because property taxes are almost always collected locally, there is no single national measure of just how many people have fallen behind. But tax collectors and treasurers in communities across the country say they've seen a sharp jump in the number of delinquent homeowners and businesses as the nation's unemployment rate grew. They're bracing for even more unpaid bills ahead.
"We fully expect a higher level ahead than in the last few years," says Kenneth Parrish, the treasurer of Kent County, Michigan, and president of a national association of tax collectors.
Tax collectors from South Florida to Wisconsin have noted the increase. In Cuyahoga County, Ohio, which includes Cleveland, nearly 8% of taxpayers didn't pay tax bills due this month, double the rate of four years ago, says Deputy County Treasurer Robin Darden Thomas. Now the county is struggling to collect about $400 million it's owed in back taxes, she says.
"Hopefully when the economy picks up, people will be able to pay," says Thomas.