July 11, 2008 — The Tax Assessor's Office is recalling all delinquent property tax notices sent out last month because some might be incorrect, according to a joint statement put out this week by Tax Assessor Roy L. Martin and newly appointed Tax Collector Valencio Jackson.
So far, about 40,000 notices have been issued to date, said Shawna Richards, spokeswoman for the Lieutenant Governor's Office.
"We had hoped to collect as much of these delinquent taxes as possible during the ongoing amnesty period," Richards said Friday. "But some of the notices were sent in error and we are aware of that."
During the amnesty program — which went into effect at the beginning of June and runs until the end of September — all interest and penalties are waived on delinquent property taxes owed before 2005. The recall will have no effect on the program,
according to the joint press release.
Most recently, real property tax collection was moved from the Department of Finance to the Lieutenant Governor's Office.
"Prior to issuing the (delinquency) notices, the Division of Property Tax projected a slim margin of error in the records previously maintained by the Department of Finance," Martin said in the joint statement. "We were unaware of the extent of the discrepancies, but given what we have learned it became clear that more time will be needed to correct years of inefficient records management. This is why we decided it was best to recall the notices," said Martin.
The Property Tax Division is currently working to create an accurate database of property tax assessments and payments, he added. Once the records are reviewed, and residents' payment status clarified, the delinquency notices will be reissued.
"Our records are being evaluated constantly, so we are catching these errors as payments continue to come in," Richards said, when asked what happens to residents who have paid their delinquent taxes based on notices issued last month. "It is an ongoing process, and we're trying our best."
Meanwhile, residents with any information that could help the Tax Collector's Office update their records can mail that information to the Tax Collector's Office at:
St. Croix:
No. 4008 Estate Diamond
Christiansted, VI 00820
St. Thomas:
No. 2314 Kronprindsens Gade
St. Thomas, VI 00802
St. John:
P.O. Box 488
St. John, VI 00831
Residents can also call 773-1105 on St. Croix, 774-4750 on St. Thomas and 776-6698 on St. John, or email their information to info@usvipropertytax.com.
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