I. Council Action Requested.
Title
To write off the outstanding balance of taxes property identified as Map 82, Lot 136C, tax account G1520R, at 487 Falmouth Road plus interest, fees and any other costs since tax year 2010, following any abatement under the authority of the assessor, and to release any claim the town may have on this property.
Body
II. Basis for Council Action.
Council approval of this item is required because;
a. Pursuant to Article I, Section 2 of the Charter the town "may acquire property for any Town purpose, in fee simple or any lesser interest or estate, by purchase, gift, devise, lease, or condemnation and may sell, lease, mortgage, hold, manage and control such property as its interest may require, and
b. Pursuant to Article II, Section 3(I) of the Charter the Town Council is authorized to "exercise all the legislative, financial, borrowing and other powers now or hereafter given by statute to inhabitants of towns acting in Town Meeting except as otherwise provided herein, and also exercise all the powers now or hereafter given by statute to municipal officers of towns,"
c. The Town acquired an interest in the property through automatic foreclosure following the placement of a lien for non-payment of taxes, and
d. This order releases any interest, including all back taxes, interest, fees and any other costs, on the property.
III. Issue Summary.
Please refer to the attached correspondence. The assessed owner claims to have transferred the property to an abutting property owner in 1982, but paid taxes on the account until 2010. The previous assessor, David Sawyer, asked for documentation to support the claim that the property had been transferred and no longer existed as a separate lot, but received no response.
In effect, this property no longer exists as a separate lot, and has not for many years, though that information appears not to have been provided to the assessor's office until recently. Writing off the balance since 2010 cle...
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