He also said the city will move to narrow Washington and Jefferson boulevards downtown.The top 10 delinquent taxpayers individually owe less back taxes compared with the same group last year, according to the Allen County Treasurer’s Office.
The treasurer mailed notices to 6,093 properties last month warning them that they could go to tax sale if they didn’t pay at least what they owed in spring 2008. A similar notice was sent last year to 7,000 properties but included two years’ worth of overdue parcels, so the owners had more time to accrue debt, Treasurer Sue Orth said.
Orth is disappointed that so many property owners are already behind, but she said the silver lining is they don’t owe as much as last year.
This year, the top debtor, Bright Communications, owes $130,000 for personal property plus $75,000 for a second set of personal property. The company was in bankruptcy and now has a plan to pay back what it owes over time.
In comparison, Dana Corp. owed $1.8 million for equipment last year. The bankrupt vehicle parts-maker owed the most of any property owner in the county. Dana has since paid up on all its properties, Orth said.
In the 10th spot last year was Orite Hotels of Indiana, which owns the Quality Inn on Coliseum Boulevard West. The business owed $90,000 compared to $68,000 this year in real estate taxes.
Coventry Court West, an apartment complex at 522 Pine Grove Lane, owes $101,000 in real estate taxes – the second highest amount due of delinquent taxpayers this year.
A motel/tourist cabin business called the Youngevity Mineral Spa, 1005 W. Washington Center Road, followed with $70,600. Farther north, a shopping center owned by MHKAL LLC in the 1800 block of West Dupont Road owes $60,912, Orth said.
And Hall Drive-ins Inc. owes $70,000 for the company’s property at 1313 W. Washington Center Road, where the Guesthouse and its catering services are located. The restaurant appealed its 2007 assessment, which formed the basis of tax bills mailed in 2008, Orth said.
Parkview Hospital owed $63,000 for equipment in its oncology center. Although the hospital is a non-profit, certain components earn a profit and have to pay taxes, she said.
The Fort Wayne Urban League was also on the list this year for owing $58,600 on its new building at the Hanna-Creighton campus. The organization filed a non-profit exemption for 2009. Orth said sometimes non-profit groups forget to file or file too late for the exemption and end up owing taxes.
Orth plans to have a tax sale this fall and encouraged property owners to pay up before the county mails a new round of bills, which will likely go out in July.
Only real estate properties that are more than 18 months behind are eligible for the sale. The county fights for back taxes on personal property and mobile homes in court, she said.
