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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | February 8, 2013 04:07 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Michael J. Stack |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Authorization to impose liens in regards to delinquent property taxes (Cities of the 1st Class) |
| In the near future, I plan to offer legislation that would authorize Cities of the 1st Class (Philadelphia) the ability to place liens on all properties due to delinquent/unpaid property taxes, regardless of location. The tax collection rate in Philadelphia is roughly 80%, one of the lowest collection rates of any major city in the U.S. This legislation would allow the city to aggressively pursue those who refuse to pay their property taxes. This is a companion bill to HB 388 (Rep. Cherrell Parker). This bill will bill to provide the City of Philadelphia with additional authority to collect delinquent property taxes. Philadelphia needs additional tools to effectively collect delinquent property taxes from speculators who own vacant, blighted tax delinquent properties and from investors who purchase and rent properties and fail to pay their property taxes. An analysis of delinquent property taxes shows that many non-residents own ten, twenty or more properties that are tax delinquent, vacant or abandoned. Non-resident investors own rental properties that not only have code violations but are delinquent in paying their property taxes. Simply putting a lien on the specific property that is delinquent has not been sufficient to cause payments to be made. The City needs the lien to be placed against all of the property owners’ real estate located within the Commonwealth. Then, when the property owner attempts to sell any of his/her property located within the Commonwealth, the lien must be satisfied. |
Introduced as SB467