Stan Margle, in last week's condescending pitch to Northampton County Council for a Dixie Cup tax break in Wilson Borough, instructed them they were bound to consider only the site, not its intended use. They were supposed to erase everything they had been told about a warehouse next to two high schools in a high-traffic area.
OK, let's consider the parcel, shall we?
According to records in Northampton County's Civil Division, the site is subject to about $346,000 in municipal liens imposed by Wilson Area School District. They are filed at 2018-ML-6317, 2019-ML-6401, 2020-ML-4166, 2021-ML-3482, 2021-ML-6222 and 2022-ML-1641. These are in rem liens, meaning they run with the site.
These liens have been filed by Portnoff Law Offices, a tax farmer hired by school districts who want their money now. When they index liens against ordinary homeowners like you, they list the property for sale right away. But the more wealthy can get away with stiffing a school district for four years.
There is also a lawsuit pending, filed by Wilson Borough at 2020-C-6058.
I neglected to check delinquent county taxes..
Basically, Margle wants a tax break for a site that is already behind on the taxes it owes. Since he says we should only look at the site, the answer should be NO.
By the way, I have no problem with a developer building a warehouse there. It is a zoned use and this is America. But I'd refuse to make it easy for him by giving him a tax break.
Taxes are for poor people to pay….. we don’t have the legal teams to fight them
ReplyDeleteWith four years of delinquent taxes, shouldn’t this have gone to Sheriff sale by now?
ReplyDeleteThis is unbelievable! Joe Reibman is even greedier and stupider than I thought. The guy doesn't pay his taxes and then wants tax relief from the government?! Bernie, your pal McClure should take it to sheriff sale and hope that Nat Hyman buys it so he can do with this property what he's done with all of the similar buildings in Allentown.
ReplyDeleteJoe Reibman is a deadbeat!
ReplyDeleteReibman should be ashamed of himself. The building is an eyesore that you can't miss when you come into Wilson. He doesn't pay his taxes, doesn't take care of his building and asked for tax abatements. His audacity is amazing.
ReplyDeleteDamn.... You are the best! This is too funny. Did you research this on a whim? Can we assume that council did as much investigating? You are wicked clever.
ReplyDeleteAs an employer, I get garnishment orders for employees who missed a frickin $35 per capita tax or some other such bullshit. In most cases, they aren't even aware they owe something (change of residence, marital status, name, etc.). I hate being made the tax collector and I feel bad for good people who are legitimately embarrassed over such small sums. I wish the Reibmans of the world felt the same shame and discomfort my hard working people do. I doubt they do. pondering life's double standards is frustrating. No tax break for the tax cheats. ZERO.
ReplyDeleteHe is not the only one who plays taxes games all over Lehigh and Northampton county. Many business go delinquent and pay at the last minute or pay the fine. I hope there is a tax person on this blog who can validate. The loop holes are huge which many business drive dump truck loads of money through. Laws need to be reviewed to remove these loop holes no matter how harsh they seem and they need to be applied equally across all.
ReplyDeleteEspecially they need to be applied to those who fight them the most. I always thought if you fight against something like that and cause delays your penalty should correspondingly go up. nd to really piss people off hey should be compounded like student loans weekly and or monthly.
Time to end givi8ng developers tax breaks in th county,
ReplyDeleteLocal municipalities, Becky B , Don C and many others have come out railing against the continued growth of warehouses however Don likes to take credit when they come here. But they definitely like the tax money from them. How many of the existing local developers were encouraged and given financial incentives to plow under farmland and grow warehouses. You can probably name a few of the choice ones in the towns and out in the country. How many side deals were cut for them to get away with what they have done - We will never truly know. Reibman's biggest thing is he probably pissed someone off by not playing ball with them and or is just too late to the party to get incentives. Or is it that one of the health network groups want the property for another medical center. The land is about used up unless they put in the new exit north of 78 off of the extension before the tunnels then there will be thousands of acres to develop and more deals to be made.
ReplyDelete