Published: September 03, 2008 11:39 am            

Hayes: Delinquent taxes show tough times

NEWTON — If you didn’t pay your land taxes by the last Monday in August then you probably are subject to lose your property remarked Newton County Chancery Clerk George Hayes.

“You can tell our economy has gotten worse over the years when you have more people that are losing their properties because they can’t pay their county taxes,” Hayes said. “When Tax Accessor Geraldine Seals has a tax sale and people don’t pay their taxes you have to sell the property in a tax sale to collect county money.”

According to Hayes if the taxes aren’t paid, it then comes to his office for collection, and if the landowner doesn’t pay within the next two years he has to give a tax deed out on it and the landowner loses their property.

“I have never had more than eight to 10 at the very most and as of Monday I have had 71 and Friday is the deadline,” Hayes said. “We have about 40 people that are about to lose their property, that is how terrible it is. We have called, begged and written letters but today is the last day, they always come in the third year and redeem to keep from losing the property but they just don’t have the money right now.”

Hayes said if your property is sold the only option is to go to the people that has the deed and try to buy it back from them.

“If people say our economy isn’t in a bad situation I can tell you different because this is the slowest my office has been since I have been in this courthouse,” Hayes said. “The banks aren’t doing business, they might be doing business but they aren’t doing land business not transferring any property, no one is buying or selling.”

Hayes said the board at the courthouse has more foreclosures on it than he has ever seen proving that the economy has gotten that bad.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.