After 20+ Years, City Of Newbury Decides To Pursue Real Estate Tax Scofflaws

In Massachusetts, The Boston Globe reports:

• In Newbury, a town of roughly 7,000, about 150 are considered delinquent taxpayers. A few haven't dished out a cent in property taxes since the 1980s. Others owe close to $50,000. But the free ride for some property owners is over, according to Charles Kostro, Newbury's finance director/treasurer.

• Since last March, the town has pursued some $660,000 in back property taxes. Most recently, officials ratcheted up the process by hiring Boston-based D'Ambrosio Law Offices to put the top 10 tax delinquents into tax title, which, if taxes are still outstanding after six months, allows the town to foreclose on their properties.

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• Things have already improved. The town has collected roughly 40 percent of the $660,000 in back taxes dating from the mid 1980s to June 2006.

For more, see Newbury hopes to collect $660,000 from tax delinquents (Effort is first time town has gone after debtors in 15 years).