Lauren Monica | Anson Record
WADESBORO — Anson County Town Manager Leonard Sossoman provided an update on foreclosure and collection attempts, as well as praised increasing progress in payment plans.
Sossoman said he felt particularly pleased to announce tax bills went out on time this year.
“I was just told by one of the commissioners, who shall remain nameless, he just received in the mail today his new tax bill. We had, as you remember, hoped to get them out the end of August or first of September, so we have achieved that objective,” Sossoman said.
Citing information released by the Anson County Tax Larry Newton’s office, Sossoman informed the board that the county now has a 112 active payment plans in place. Outlining the financial cost for the process, Sossoman explained that each collection typically ranges from $2-4,000 each.
“What we normally try to do, obviously, is we place in so that the upset process that we go through will recoup that up front and then the balance of it is what they owe in taxes hopefully, and also penalties and interest,” Sossoman said.
Acknowledging he has been contacted by several concerned citizens, Sossoman said he received multiple calls regarding the county forgiving debt related to interest accrued from an outstanding balance.
“We cannot forgive, under state law, the taxes nor the interest. What you can is any kind of penalty or advertisement fee. Those are the minimus or smaller parts of what they owe. We are making progress on that front,” said Sossoman, later adding. “Right now they have backdraft, one they just approved, for $47,000 and it will be paid out at the tune of $5,000 a month because, obviously, we would rather not take possession of the property, we would rather have them pay and so that is why we are trying to work out the payment plans even though we have to go the foreclosure route sometimes.”
Concerned with staffing needs, Commissioner Jarvis Woodburn asked, “Under vacant staff positons, I believe he [Larry Newton] talked about that last time he was here, what is that position?”
Sossoman answered, “The vacant staff member he has now, he is full in collections, this position is actually, if you will recall, the peer review process we had said that he needed to have a couple more appraisers. What I asked him to do was try to find another appraiser through recruitment and also to change one of his current employees and let that person apply and move her hopefully up in the ranks to become an appraise.”
