WILTON — Unpaid back taxes amounting to more than $350,000 were reviewed by
the Board of Selectmen this week. The amount includes taxes and
accumulated interest.

After reviewing a compiled list of properties registered with tax
liens, Selectman Irv Faunce called for a more aggressive response.

“I’ve run out of patience as a taxpayer and a selectman,” he said. “It’s not fair for the town to carry over $350,000.”

Town Manager Rhonda Irish has contacted some of the larger property
owners and is trying to set up a payment schedule to help them get
caught up, she told the board. But more research needs to be done and
it takes time.

Some already have payment arrangements, Assistant Town Manager Barbara Vining said Wednesday. Once the taxes become overdue, the
property owner is sent a 30-day notice before being registered in a tax
lien. They then have 18 months to pay before the town can start
foreclosure.

The list includes some larger property holders, including American
Homes, owners of Forster’s; and Nichols Development, owners of the Bass
Nichols Building. Nichols Development hasn’t paid taxes for four or
five years, Irish told the board. Its unpaid taxes for the 2007-08
period listed in this year’s town report total more than $31,000.

The board agreed that the last step would be a foreclosure notice, because there are
a lot of other issues to consider. They also agreed that the town doesn’t
want to own the Bass Nichols Building.

“They are not the only ones and we haven’t singled them out,” Vining said. The board wanted a list,
wants to clean up the overdue amounts and get everything up to date, she said.

abryant@sunjournal.com