HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Board of Abatement - 10/26/2017BOARD OF ABATEMENT 26 OCTOBER 2017 The South Burlington Board of Abatement held a mee ng on Thursday, 26 October 2017, at 6:00 p.m., in theCommunity Mee ng Room of the South Burlington Police Sta on, 19 Gregory Drive.
MEMBERS PRESENT: P. Taylor, Chair; D. Kinville, P. Benner, C. Shaw, H. Riehle, T. Barri , T. Chi enden, M. Emery,M. Mahoney, P. Mahoney, A. Cli , Sen. M. Sirotkin, M. St. Germain
ALSO PRESENT: M. Lyons, Assessor’s Office; M. Hemsley, G. Poon 1. Instruc ons on exi ng building in case of emergency:
Ms. Riehle provided emergency exi ng instruc ons. 2. Agenda Review: Addi ons, dele ons or changes in order of agenda items:
No changes were made to the Agenda. 3. Comments & Ques ons from the public not related to Agenda items:
No issues were raised. 4. Approve Minutes from 1 February 2017:
Ms. Emery moved to approve the Minutes of 1 February as wri en. Ms. Riehle seconded. Mo on passed 12-0with Mr. St. Germain abstaining. 5. Hear Abatement Requests:
a. Mark Hemsley – 91 Blackberry Lane Ms. Lyons said the property is a condo. The 2016-17 delinquency is $6,711.98, and the August, 2017
delinquency is $3,040.61, for a total including late fees and penal es of $9,752.59. Mr. Hemsley said he started the process of buying the house 3 years ago when he was employed and hadworking partner. Just before he closed on the house, he lost his job and he and his partner split up. He decided
to go into business for himself and is now doing quite well. He has been making payments on his taxes, but notas o en as he would like to. His monthly income slightly more than his living expenses per month.
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Mr. Hemsley said he has no credit cards and no other debts. He has an IRA and an older car. Just this pastSaturday he was married, and with his wife’s income he should be okay going forward making the tax payment. Mr. Hemsley also noted that a family member has covered the cost of the house, and there is a “forgiveness”
every year, as allowable by law. Mr. Taylor suggested refinancing the house. Mr. Chi enden suggested a home equity loan. Members asked ifMr. Hemsley had looked into the State program for low-income taxpayers. Ms. Lyons said she will get him in
touch with the State person. Mr. Barri moved to close the hearing. Ms. Riehle seconded. Mo on passed unanimously.
b. Giselle Poon – 14 Brookwood Drive
Ms. Lyons said taxes owed are: $1,434.42 from 2015-16, $6,415.59 from 2016-17 and $1,954.06 from 2017-18.
Ms. Poon said he husband died in 2010, and she was not an “inheritor.” His parents pushed the house into
foreclosure, and she finally paid off the loan to get the house back. In 2014, she had a medical incident which leaves her unable to work and will only worsen over me. She
finally received Social Security disability as she can no longer work. That is enough for her to live on, but the
taxes are too much for her. Ms. Poon said she now owns the house outright, but she cannot send in the paperwork to the state because
the taxes are not paid up. There is no mortgage on the house.
Ms. Lyons suggested Ms. Poon come into the Tax Department and they may be able to help her with filing herhomestead declara on which may give her a rebate.
Ms. Kinville suggested Ms. Poon bring in her foreclosure purchase paperwork to the Clerk’s office and they maybe able to help with ge ng the paperwork filed so that the house is in her name.
Ms. Poon did note that she paid $5300 to the city when she got her Disability se lement.
Ms. Poon also noted the problems with the sale of the former China Light property.BOARD OF ABATEMENT
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PAGE 3 Ms. Riehle moved to close the hearing. Mr. Barri seconded. Mo on passed unanimously.
c. Julie Marie Fitzgerald – 104 Country Club Drive East Ms. Lyons noted that Ms. Fitzgerald is deceased, and nothing has been received to indicate that the property
has been put in her husband’s name. A le er from the husband, Mark Remkert, was presented.
Taxes owed are: $2944.99 for 2016-17 and $1,987.61 for 2018. There has been no response to delinquencyle ers.
Mr. Shaw suggested that informa on on “income sensi vity” go out with delinquency le ers. Ms. Lyons saidthat if people come in to see her, she gives them the forms and helps them fill them out. Mr. Remkert sent in the financial ques onnaire to the City Clerk’s office but most of it is not completed.
Members felt they would have to make a decision based on the informa on they received. Ms. Emery moved to close the hearing. Mr. Benner seconded. Mo on passed unanimously.
d. Denise Cutler – 39 Hawthorne Circle Ms. Lyons noted that Ms. Cutler declared bankruptcy last year but is now out of bankruptcy. On 5 September,the mortgage company paid $2,722.55, so there is no delinquency. Ms. Cutler may have applied for an
abatement because the mortgage company has increased her payments to cover the taxes they paid. Ms. Lyons noted that Ms. Cutler does get a state prebate.
Ms. Cli move to close the hearing. Mr. Benner seconded. Mo on passed unanimously. Mr. Taylor then distributed informa on on the impact of an abatement on the city and school budgets.
Ms. Cli then moved to enter delibera ve session on the four appeals. Ms. Riehle seconded. Mo on passedunanimously. BOARD OF ABATEMENT
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Return to regular session: 6. Other Business:
No other issues were presented to the Board. As there was no further business to come before the Board of Abatement, Mr. Barri moved to adjourn. Mr.M. Mahoney seconded. Mo on passed unanimously, and the mee ng was adjourned at 8:05 p.m.
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Clerk