Delinquent properties are scattered throughout Philadelphia, and they collectively owe nearly $500 million in taxes. This is a major problem for the city, and new legislation is hoping to tackle it.
"After decades of weak enforcement, there are now nearly 111,000 properties in arrears, on which is owed a combined $472 million to the city and School District.
The impact of this failure to collect goes far beyond finances. It has also had a huge and highly visible affect on neighborhoods across the city.
Tax-delinquent properties are often blighted and unsafe. In well-off communities, they can stand out as glaring eyesores. In declining neighborhoods, they add fuel to urban abandonment and decay. And in recovering areas, the city's failure to promptly sell off vacant tax-delinquent land acts as a significant drag on redevelopment."
The legislation seeks to overhaul the delinquent tax collection and enforcement process.
Read the full story: Tax debts thwart rebuilding
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