WATERFORD – By the first of February, selectmen have warned they can take possession of any recreational vehicle whose owner has not paid overdue taxes. In some cases, they are pushing ahead against the ruling of Oxford County commissioners.
Town officials are trying to change tax policy on RVs parked at Keoka Beach Camping Area because they say the campers there resemble permanent summer cottages more than movable vehicles. The new tax policy assumes RVs appreciate in value because they are set up year-round on leased parcels, and RVs located closer to the water are taxed at higher rates.
About 125 RVs are parked at the camping area on Keoka Lake, and most of them are paid up on taxes, Selectman Whizzer Wheeler said. But a dozen RV owners protested the selectmen’s property valuations and filed tax abatement requests.
Commissioners, who are charged with settling cases on disputed local property taxes, decided in October that the owners did not have to pay the new tax. They concluded in a letter to them that, “The value of your RV/Camper should be based on fair market value such as the NADA book or similar publication.” NADA is a used car guide that recommends resell values for used vehicles. Commissioners also said the location of the RVs should not be considered in valuation.
But Waterford selectmen are not heeding the ruling. “We have chosen not to honor the commission’s ruling, which is a nonruling,” Wheeler said last week. “They have no authority.”
Wheeler said because the commissioners never advised the town on how RVs should be taxed, their decision is worthless.
County Commission Chairman David Duguay said he was not aware the town wanted further clarification on the decision, and he added that if the commissioners had more responsibilities left in this matter, he would look into it.
David Ledew at Maine Revenue Services said if selectmen disagree with the commissioners’ decision, the next legal step is appealing to Superior Court.
“Any liens that the town might be putting on the RVs are going to be subject to challenge,” Ledew said last week.
But the town nonetheless has sent out a notice to 34 owners of RVs warning them they have until the end of January to pay their taxes. All together, Waterford stands to collect around $8,000, according to Town Clerk Brenda Bigonski.
By Jan. 26, only six people who received the town’s letter had paid, Bigonski said, including four from the original group who filed for tax abatements. She said some certified letters have come back unclaimed.
The town’s revised tax policy affects just the years 2004 and 2005, Wheeler said, and the town is asking for back taxes from 2004 or earlier now.
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