In my weekly Patch column, I've criticized the privatized tax collection that's become all too common in so many local municipalities, including Easton. Portnoff Law Associates, the tax farmer of choice for most municipalities, has scheduled Sheriff's Sales when property owners fall behind on relatively low bills. To stop a sale, an owner must sometimes pay ten times the amount of the original lien. All that extra money goes into Portnoff's pocket. Easton uses Portnoff.
Q. A question about Portnoff. Portnoff is your private tax collector. It's a privatized tax collection firm. I've noticed at the courthouse that Portnoff - and Easton is by no means the only municipality that uses Portnoff, it's used by 26 municipalities throughout the Lehigh Valley. My question to you, sir, is don't you think that they're charging just a bit too much to the people who can least afford to pay it?
Panto: "Well, yeah, and that's a great point, the people who can least afford it. We're evaluating that. I know, in my own business, it's a public record, you know. We starved. We were behind. My dad's business. Great business. Great success. But when things catch up to you, its tough.
Q. It was a great business.
Panto: "It was. It was financially successful, but yet, it was week to week, like every other small business is, and I know that they're really difficult to deal with personally. I've dealt with them.
"I'm a little more compassionate than them. I'm consistently fair, I want everybody to pay their fair share. But certainly there's a way to accomplish that.
"I don't like the contract that the City has with them. It's being reviewed, where they get paid even if we don't get a dime. Their fees get paid first. Well, that doesn't seem like it's a quid pro quo at all. I mean, it's just for them.
"We are looking at it, we are evaluating. I think you're going to see some changes for the 2012 year."
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