Gibbs said he's contacted several surrounding counties to see what they do and said Cobb County has been helpful.
"They've been very gracious to provide us with their ordinances," Gibbs said. "They actually have some teeth in it, something that we can go after to do our collections."
Gibbs said for 2010 there is about $250,000 in back taxes owed on mobile homes. Gibbs said mobile home owners who don't post a sticker on the mobile home are creating a problem for themselves and the county.
"We have no way of knowing, if they don't put the sticker on, without a lot of work on our enforcement division of whether they paid it or not," Gibbs said. "The state ordinance and the county ordinance both call for it to be clearly displayed on the mobile home."
Gibbs said owners who don't post the sticker are subject to a fine whether or not they've paid the tax, it's a violation for not displaying the sticker.
"It's no different than your car," according to Gibbs.
Gibbs said checking the records revealed that some back taxes go back several years and the problem is spread across the county except possibly for District (4), Commissioner Ashley Bell's district, where there are fewer mobile homes.
According to Public Information Officer Nikki Young, Hall County billed around $860,000 in taxes for 8,355 mobile homes last year. As of March 8th this year, $190,000 in taxes remain unpaid. Mobile home taxes are due May 1.
Hall County has two main problems with its ability to collect mobile home taxes:
(1) The Tax Commissioner doesn't have much recourse if homeowners refuse to pay their taxes because it's very hard to sell a mobile home. Most delinquent mobile homes are older, and on a rented lot, which makes collecting on a tax lien virtually impossible.
(2) The other option beyond a tax sale is enforcement. The county has four county marshals in the field, supporting code enforcement for all county departments. The county does not have the manpower to support issuing citations to the large number of delinquent mobile homeowners.
BOND REPAYMENT RATE RISING
Commissioners heard a recommendation for a one year extension for a letter of credit on $14.5-million in revenue bonds for the South Hall waste water treatment facility from Interim Finance Director Lisa Johnsa. Johnsa said the credit rate rose from .43 percent to .83 percent for a one year extension because international financial uncertainty.
"The rates in the market place are very volatile right now obviously with the international situation with Japan and that sort of thing," Johnsa said.
According to Johnsa now is not the time to rebid the bonds, and the LOC was the best the county could do for the present. She added the $42 a month South Hall sewer customers are currently paying is what the bank expects to support payment of the interest, but not the principal, on the debt.
Gibbs said for 2010 there is about $250,000 in back taxes owed on mobile homes
Johnsa said the credit rate rose from .43 percent to .83 percent for a one year extension because international financial uncertainty
http://accesswdun.com/article/2011/3/237263