| |
|
| |
Detroit
to file
597
suits to
recoup
$12.2
mil in
back
property
taxes
from
banks,
companies
•
City
will be
going
after
only
those
seeking
to
profit
off real
estate,
not
individual
homeowners.
DETROIT
– The
City of
Detroit
plans to
file
nearly
600
lawsuits,
against
mostly
banks
and
companies,
to
recover
over
$12.2
million
in
unpaid
property
taxes
owed
from
2010-12.
The City
has sent
demand
letters
out this
week to
banks,
investment
companies
and
others,
and
plans to
file all
of the
suits
before
the end
of the
month,
mostly
in 36th
District
Court.
It is
seeking
to
recoup
an
average
of
$19,942
per suit
and
$7,898
per
parcel,
covering
1,543
parcels.
“For too
long,
there
are
those
who
chose
not to
pay what
they
owed in
taxes,
leaving
everyone
else to
pay the
price,”
said
David
Szymanski,
treasurer
and
deputy
chief
financial
officer
for the
City of
Detroit.
“We are
working
to
improve
City
services
for our
residents,
and to
do that
–
whether
its
better
police
and fire
protection,
streetlights
or
better
schools
for our
children
– we
need
everyone
who does
business
in this
city to
pay
their
fair
share.”
The City
will be
going
after
only
those
who own
property
for
profit,
such as
banks
and
companies.
It is
not
going
after
any
individual
who owns
fewer
than
three
properties
and is
not
associated
with an
LLC or
company.
“We are
not
talking
about
the
family
that has
fallen
on tough
times,
those
struggling
to
decide
whether
to feed
their
children
or pay
their
taxes,”
Szymanski
said.
“We went
to great
lengths
to
ensure
that we
were
going
after
only
those
who
bought
property
as
investments,
not as a
place to
live.
This is
about
those
who
tried to
make
money
without
paying
what
they
owed. We
are
standing
up for
our
property
owners
who paid
their
taxes
and
played
by the
rules.”
The City
will
also be
attempting
to
recoup
taxes
owed to
Wayne
County,
Wayne
County
Community
College
District,
Wayne
RESA,
the
Detroit
Public
Schools
and
others.
This is
the
first
round of
an
ongoing
effort
by the
City to
recover
what it
is owed,
with the
City
planning
to go
after
delinquent
taxes
for
other
years,
as well.
Under
Michigan
law, a
city can
sue a
property
owner
over
delinquent
taxes,
regardless
of
whether
the
property
has gone
through
foreclosure
or
auction
and has
been
sold.
“We are
trying
to make
it
harder
for
profit-seekers
to sit
and
speculate
on
property
without
keeping
it up or
paying
taxes
like
everyone
else,”
Szymanski
said.
“The
message
here
should
be
clear:
If
you’re
going to
do
business
in
Detroit,
you have
to pay
your
share,
just
like
everybody
else.”
The City
will
send
demand
letters
to the
owners
of
delinquent
property
taxes
this
week.
Those
who
receive
such
letters,
but opt
not to
settle
their
debts,
can
expect
to have
lawsuits
filed
against
them by
the end
of the
month.
Persons
or
entities
who
receive
a demand
letter
from the
City of
Detroit
are
encouraged
to
immediately
call
(844)871-3126
to
settle
their
accounts.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
I
HI TECH NEWS
I
SPORTS
I
