Monday, April 20, 2009

Ulster County tax lien sales double

Posted: April 20, 2009 - 8:29 AM

KINGSTON -- In 2007 there were 66 properties listed for sale at Ulster County's public auction. Twenty-four months later those numbers have more than doubled to 134, according to county Comptroller Elliott Auerbach.

The 2008 Public Auction catalog also reveals that the amounts owed to thecounty for properties three or more years in arrears have gone up by 55 percent since the 2007 sale, from $1,016,265 to $1,580,289.

Auerbach calls it a sign of the tough economic times and is fearful that it is a harbinger of things to come if we cannot offer property owners some relief.

Auerbach says that the 134 properties listed for sale is a small percentage compared to the 84,390 properties listed as taxable parcels in the 2008 Ulster County Real Property report, but he warns County leaders not to be lulled into thinking things are just fine since property tax accounts for 21 percent of the county's projected revenue.

The county's public auction will be held at SUNY Ulster in Vanderlyn Hall Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.
The complete listing of properties can be found on the County website at

www.ulstercountyny.gov/finance

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