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I Received A Demand Notice
I Received a Demand Notice!
It's not mean or nasty, it's just the required language
Although this sounds ominous, a Demand Notice is simply a delinquent statement that includes the required statutory language in order for the tax office to protect the town's authority to collect past-due taxes.
If payment of taxes is not received after the Demand Notice is sent, the next phase of a town's tax collection procedure is the use of a collection agency or a State Marshal. The agency or the Marshal is given the list of a town's delinquent taxpayers and those entities have the authority to collect the taxes. Both entities charge the taxpayer a fee for collection of the tax and they also have the statutory authority to attach bank accounts, bring small claims actions, seize property and garnish wages. If payment cannot be collected by these means, the town might then move forward by taking legal action against the taxpayer.
We utilize the services of the Rossi Law Office based in Rhode Island as our collection agency. So, if you receive a letter from that company, it is a legitimate notice and is not a scam.
These actions may sound drastic, but they are the legal means by which a town may have to proceed in order to ensure the collection of the taxes that have been levied.
And/Or a Notice of Lien
You may have also received a "Notice of Lien". In order to protect the Town's ability to collect business personal property/real estate taxes, any property owner with delinquent real estate tax is sent a notice of intent to lien. This is also a statutory requirement, not only to protect the town, but also to be informative to the taxpayer. Should the tax bill remain unpaid, the Tax Office would then place a tax lien on the delinquent property. This ensures that the town will be first in line to receive payment of the delinquent tax should any legal action be brought upon the property.