Here’s an eye-opening number…nearly $51 million…
That how much is owed to Erie County in delinquent property taxes on nearly 9,000 properties.
The top 20 delinquent property owners alone owe the county $4.3 million in back taxes, including one house in the Town of Tonawanda whose owner owes nearly $787,000 in back taxes.
Erie County Clerk Mickey Kearns said he has had enough when it comes to legislative delays to the plans he has for collecting the overdue back property taxes.
What Kearns is proposing to Erie County lawmakers is adopting a payment plan for delinquent property taxes and reducing the interest rate from 18% to 12%.
The Erie County legislature’s response?
“Crickets. We have not heard one thing. It has been languished in Erie County legislature's committee for nearly six months,” Kearns said.
In fairness, Kearns’ proposals are under review by various Erie County Legislature committees.
In the meantime, Kearns is using a vacant and dilapidated house at 359 Riley Street on Buffalo’s East Side for why Erie County needs more legislative teeth. The Riley Street house, vacant for more than six years, is owned by a Nassau County-registered investment group and has 41 violations, according to Buffalo Housing Court records.
“This LLC partnership, the person lives in Nassau County. I bet you they live in a nice house. I bet you, if they live next door to this, they would be upset,” Kearns remarked.
Kearns believes reducing the 18% interest rate, along with the payment plan program, could be game changers for individual homeowners who are behind on their property tax payments.
“Erie County charges 18% if you get behind on your taxes, 18%. Imagine having a credit card with 18%, you'll never be able to catch up with the compounding interest,” Kearns said.
Community activist and former Erie County Legislator Betty Jean Grant, who’s running to get her seat back in November, agrees with Kearns that the rate has to be reduced.
“To find out that we're charging an 18% interest rate. That's loan sharking. That's tantamount to loan sharking,” Grant said.
For now, Kearns said he will continue to push for his proposals.
