By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
TAX LIEN PLAN
Manteca has lost $1.3M in abatement efforts over last nine years
code

Property owners who have either ignored or been unable to maintain structures and land according to minimal municipal standards designed to combat blight and insure public health and safety have left taxpayers that do follow the rules holding the bag for $1.3 million since 2009.

The $1.3 million represents money the city is out when it is forced to abate property as well as fines and related costs. In the past nine years the tab created by non-compliance totaled $2.6 million with only half of that being collected. The created an annual drain on the city budget averaging $140,000. To put that in perspective, that is almost the tab for a year for the salary and benefits of an entry level police officer.

 Code Enforcement Supervisor Scott Cunningham is recommending the City Council on Tuesday approve an agreement with San Joaquin County to recover unpaid abatement costs via property tax bills. It is estimated the city would recover $290,000 in abatement costs forced by non-compliance to property upkeep rules for the 2018-2019 tax year that they otherwise would not likely collect if the council OKs the agreement.

The county would receive either 1 percent of the amount levied or $3 per assessment — whichever is less — to cover administrative costs.

It would give the city a significant tool to step up property upkeep in Manteca. If the city currently determines a building is a significant public safety issue and the owner refuses — or is unable financially — to take steps to rectify the situation, Manteca could end up on the hook for the cost of abating a structure such as a shuttered burned out building.

With the county agreement in place, if the city fails to collect abatement costs and fines from the property owner they would do so via the tax rolls. The ultimate fallback in such a case would be the assessment being paid when the property is sold or if the owner goes five years without paying any property taxes and liens when a forced sale of the property occurs.

The city initially works with property owners to secure voluntary compliance. If that doesn’t work the city abates public nuisances when property has been deemed a public health and safety hazard.

There are various measures in place to collect costs from property owners. But if property owners refuse or are unable to pay, the city has had no effective fallback position to collect the money the city is owned. Being able to use tax roll assessment means the city will ultimately get paid in all cases.

The City Council meets at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St.

 

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com