OXFORD — The Board of Selectmen authorized Town Manager Michael Chammings on Friday to send final notice to 37 property owners who have not paid property taxes.
Deputy Clerk Joan Catalano said an estimated $76,101.85 is owed on the residential properties.
“We’ve done everything we can to help them at this point,” said Catalano, “so now they have to either make their payments or lose their property.”
Catalano said property taxes are due in October and April. Once a property owner is three years behind on taxes, the property goes into foreclosure. Catalano said a notice of foreclosure is then sent to the property owner. Oftentimes a property owner will then enter into a purchase and sale agreement with the town to make monthly payments to catch up on back taxes.
Catalano said that if the town does not receive payments, it has the option of taking control of the property and selling it. She said the town usually tries to avoid taking this step.
“That’s not what we want to do,” she said. “We don’t want anybody’s property.”
The town retains control over the Robinson Mill, a former textile manufacturing plant, after taking possession of it in 2009. In that case, the town foreclosed on the mill for nonpayment of $244,920 in taxes over a three-year period. Mill owner and Republican state legislator John C. Robinson entered into a land installment contract with the town to pay off $162,970.88, but selectmen voted 3-2 to seize the property after he failed to make an $80,000 payment in October.
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