New Britain herald., 1929-12-13

banks being holders Of first mortgages, were entitled 10 protec- tion, but he volunteered the infor- nation about unpaid taxes only when they had remained so for two or three years. A local bank, how eyor instead or asking the collector fer the information about pieces Of property individually, often sent in lists Of numerous pieces of property on which they held mortgages and asked about the taxes. In such cases he marked the information on the lists because he felt the banks were entitled 10 fl.
 Boyle CritiCizcS Practice
 Councilman Boyle told Linn his practice Of sending the information when he Was not specifically asked for if WAS unWisc and deserving of criticism in view Of the present de- pressed conditions, Hc painted picture of property holders coming home and learning that he bank was about to rorcclosc on the mortgage . because Of having learned Of unpaid . taxes when the financial stringency . might be overcome within six months or so.
 Alderman Nair related an instance . of which he had personal knowledge ! in which q property owner learned | from the Dank that the tax collector |. had volunteered the information ! about the unpaid taxes. "Im telling , yoU. Bert" the alderman said, that | party will be sore at you as long as you live. and the bank made q bum out of you. to give il to You straight from the shoulder The bank shifted the blame right onto you and I know it. Now. as a matter of fact. the city cannot lose it's taxes on real estate because all you need 10 do is file your tax lien which takes pre- CCdcnCe over all cncumbranCes. even over the first mortgage, and the city GctS 12 per cent intFest after inc first year Frankly. l think you should not worry SO much about the 1 banks and their mortgages, because l the city is well protected" The all 1 dorman also stated that he knew of | instances in which mortgage hold l CTS other than banks actually paid l the state taxes so that they would not be obliged to take back the property.
 Councilman Mlynarski questioned i the accuracy of the tax collectors statement that he did not volunteer unpaid tax information to the banks until the obligations were two or l three years old, and said he be- longed to two corporations having S150,000 out on mortgages and he never knew of tho collector sending word Of unpaid taxes, but he knew
 of one case where the collector noti-
 fled the bank about a piece of prop
 erty on which the taxes were over i due only two months. He thought the collector was over sollcltouS
 about the bank mortgages.
 Suggests Full Time Tax Attorney
 Mr. l.OomiS said he favored hay ing full time tax attorney in the
 city's employ and he had several hundred cases ready for such an
 official principally in matters Of 11n-
 paid property improvement assess
 mentS. Asked if he believed q male
 assistant in his office would be an
 asset. he said he did not see how
 such an employc would be of any
 assistance except that he could in vestigate the circumstances Of de linquentS but even then. he point
 ed out it would probably still be
 necessary 10 use civil officers in
 many cases.
 Councilman Boyle asked about the procedure followed before rcSorting
 to the employment Of Hheriffs and
 COnstables and Mir. I.oomis said he always notified the dclinqucnts and
 if they could not pay he gave them
 an extension, asking them again at
 the extension Of tho period, and if
 they still could not pay he was will
 ing 10 give them more time, but
 many of them ignored his efforts and simply would not "1oosen up" Councilman Boyle cited the case of Mayor paoncssa who was not given
 al! the chance claimed by the col
 lcctor, who sent Constable Rccor 10 his office with warrant for City ; Service Station automobile taxes.
 Asked if male assistant could , he used in the office and on outside . investigations in place of one Or , the young women now in the office,
 Mir Loomis doubted that such an
 arrangement would be practical be
 cause mon could not function as
 well as women in this work. II" H..
 Mrs. Mae Jackson. deputy collector. who was an excellent hookkeeper and greatly uudorpaid he said. Opposes semi Annual Collections | Relative 10 Somi-annual Collcc- , tIons of taxes, which CouncilmaH ! Boyle said he favored. MT. Loomis | said he did not favor it because fl , would make more work for his Of
 fico. As to "layiue down" in his ef- forts 10 collect the taxes and meet . the budget so that extra taxes I would not he uaccssary he could not do jt unless the mayor or other ? officials in authority ordered if $ Last year when he conferred with P Tax Commissioner BlOdgctt in ar . ,fl0rf 10 hay" the interest chargr , reduced from r to per cent. hc l was told by the commissioner that s he was falling down" on his work } and was not resorting to the us' i Of collection warrants soon enough ! Councilman Boyle assured hin \, that the committee did not want
 him 10 ehirh his duty but in view Z of the inability Of many taxpayer, f to make both ends meet 1t Seemcc :, that the collector could not b, l lustIfiabIy critivized if he eased of l until such time as conditions i'm < proved.
 $ Councilman Conlon took occasion