Towns tax delinquent legal action wants to “Take” a church park meant for children. Post 53

Fosters.com Saturday, September 22, 2007   By Amanda Dumond     Democrat Staff Writer

Camp Fireside in Barrington could lose property to back taxes

BARRINGTON NH – A Christian summer camp is in jeopardy of losing its property because of $273,000 in back taxes.

The town says Camp Fireside, which has offered camp for children ages 8-17 and for families since 1952, has not kept its nonprofit status current for more than three years, which returned the property back to taxable land.

The camp contends that part of the problem is that town officials and camp directors could never come to an agreement about four years ago over what portions of the property were tax exempt.

Camp Fireside wanted nearly all 175 acres it owns to be tax exempt, but the town only wanted to recognize the roughly 12 acres used by the camp now. Town Administrator Carol Reilly said the camp has not refiled for its nonprofit, tax exempt status for about seven years, and the town has tried to collect taxes from the past three years.

Camp Fireside is trying to pay the back taxes by pursuing a grant with the federal Wetland Reserve Program, which will also place the property in a conservation easement. Camp officials have asked selectmen to give the camp an extension on paying the taxes and to approve the camp’s nonprofit status again.

Selectmen Vicki Roundy wondered what benefit it was for the town to not take the camp property by tax deed if it cannot pay its back taxes by Oct. 1.

“What is the town getting from this agreement if we can just take it?” she asked.

Reilly said that the town cannot do anything with the property for three years if it is taken by the town for back taxes because the camp has the option of repaying those taxes within that time. If that occurs, the camp has the option of repurchasing the property.

Carolyn Costantino, also a board director, said that the camp serves many low income children from the area and from out of state, and she urged the board to consider the extension for the children’s sake.

Selectmen admitted that they have made exceptions before and extended the deadline for people to pay back taxes because there are always extenuating circumstances in each case.

See the entire article:  http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070922/FOSTERS01/709220013/-1/NEWS05

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Coach Mitch’s REFLECTIONS

This is typical

The government institutes bellicose and unreasonable demands, and then swoops in to take the property when the taxes cannot be paid.

The government imposes a high tax on the park, which is mostly vacant land, and then chortles when the tax cannot be paid because they know that they are able to claim the property, without paying anything to the owners.

I understand if you think that you are living in a nightmare

The news articles that I have been highlighting are not aberrations. They are real life. Governments everywhere in America are seeking to aggrandize themselves at the expense of individual citizens. Best is if the citizen cannot defend themselves. Worst, for government, is if the citizen has the ability to fight an arbitrary government decision.

Governments plan

Nothing happens by accident if a government is involved. This is a paraphrase of FDR who said, “If it happens in Washington (DC), then it was meant to happen.” Government will take advantage if it can.

I have seen and I have heard of situations where businesses or connected persons have coveted certain tax delinquent parcels. Government, at the behest of these interests, has made decisions that would allow these connected elements to take over these parcels.

These business and government elements always wait, 1) until the property has gotten to a point in the tax delinquent process where they feel that they are on solid legal ground to take the property; or 2) they believe that the owner will not object, contest, or go to an attorney or newspaper. It is amazing how brazen these folks are. It can be power politics at its most raw.

Decisive action wins the day

Coach Mitch’s “Ridiculously Simple System…” is the answer.

My system concentrates on contacting tax delinquent owners well prior to the tax deed auction. You are speaking to these folks much before the government or the businesses can catch on that the property may be available. Even if you do not make a purchase, the owner knows that you are interested. If the government or a business does try to take the property, the owner has an “ace up his sleeve” – you.

At that point the owner will do almost anything to not allow these nefarious elements to gain at his expense. You will be able to make a decent deal, sometimes a tremendous deal. The owner will probably tell you of the pressures being brought to bear by the government and he will want to fight back. Selling to you is tantamount to him sticking a thumb in their eye.

You, of course, will be able to make a very good deal on the purchase. You also have a ready, willing, able and very interested potential purchaser waiting in the wings –  the town or Mr. Big. For you, this could be a very big win.

See Coach Mitch’s “Ridiculously Simple System…” ™ for details.

Be fast and beware,