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From YouTube: Councilwoman Parker Questions the Revenue Department on Delinquent Property Tax Collections 5-8-2018
Description
From the FY2019 Budget Hearings held Tuesday, May 8, 2018:
Councilwoman Cherelle Parker (9th District) questions the Revenue Department on procedures regarding delinquent property tax collections.
B
So
I
have
the
great
honor
and
pleasure
of
representing
residents
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia
who
live
in
these
neighborhoods.
They
are
in
Mount
Airy
Cedarbrook,
depending
on
what
you
call
it,
whether
or
not
there's
a
shooting
or
not
West
Oak
Lane,
East,
Oak,
Lane,
Allen,
II,
Logan,
long
crest,
Lawndale,
Oxford,
Circle
and
Burrell
home.
We
have
a
high
rate
of
home
ownership
in
that
district.
The
city's
home
ownership
rate
is
52%,
the
Knife
council,
Matic
District's
home
ownership
rate,
is
63
percent
and
depending
on
which
region
in
the
ninth
council
Matic
district,
you
go.
B
Some
neighborhoods
have
upwards
to
a
74
to
80
percent
home
ownership
rate
now
I
want
to,
because
this
is
very
important
to
me
just
to
make
sure
this
is
on
the
record,
because
this
is
from
your
data.
The
ninth
council,
Matic
district,
has
the
third
fewest
number
of
delinquent
property
tax
accounts
in
all
districts
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia.
Ok,
not
rich
right,
but
the
third
few
is
delinquent
accounts.
In
addition
to
that,
we
are
number
one.
B
Did
you
hear
me
number
one
when
it
comes
to
home
owners
who
enter
into
payment
agreements
with
the
city
of
Philadelphia,
when
we
know,
because
we're
not
rich,
that
we
can't
afford
to
make
the
total
payment
by
the
deadline?
We
are
the
number
one
constituency,
my
people
who
say
City
I
want
to
enter
into
a
payment
plan.
It's
with
that
in
mind
that
I
want
you
to
know.
I
was
through
the
roof.
B
When
my
office
received
a
copy
of
a
letter
that
was
sent
by
one
of
our
constituents
who
apparently
was
in
some
kind
of
pilot
about
the
collection
of
delinquent
property
taxes,
and/or
foreclosures
and
when
we
received
it
I'll
be
very
honest.
I
said
we'll
wait.
I
work
very
closely
with
revenue
I
met
with
you,
Commission
I
met
with
your
team,
my
team
we're
on
the
phone.
We
call
you
no
we're
not
we're,
not
shock
jocks.
We
don't
wait
to
have
an
issue
and
send
it
to
the
press
to
get
a
headline.
B
That's
not
how
we
function.
We
have
a
challenge.
We
call
you
how
in
the
world
could
anybody
develop
a
pilot
program
for
the
collection
of
delinquent
property
taxes
in
any
neighborhood
in
the
ninth
council,
Matic
District,
that
is
number
one
in
making
payment
arrangements
with
the
city
of
Philadelphia
and
has
the
third
fewest
delinquent
accounts
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia,
and
then
don't
even
have
the
courtesy
to
come
to
the
council
person
cuz
when
anything
goes
down
in
that
district
from
a
city
perspective,
that's
my
tale.
B
They
expect
me
to
know
and
I
had
to
say
to
my
constituent
two
of
them.
I,
don't
know
what
you're
talking
about.
Tell
me.
How
tell
me
when
tell
me
what
it
and
I
know
tell
me
who
received
these
letters
and
tell
me:
what's
the
ninth
council
Matic
District,
the
only
district
in
the
city,
I,
think
those
are
fair
questions
and
I'm
gonna
be
quiet
and
listen.
Well,.
C
C
A
Is
public
information.
So
there
there's
no
legal
barrier
to
sharing
that
information,
and
so
what
we
wound
up
doing
is
providing
that
information
to
state
representatives
so
that
they
could
reach
out
and
try
and
help
folks
get
into
that
program.
That
maybe
folks
would
be
more
comfortable
talking
to
someone
who
who
wasn't
the
Department
of
Revenue
about
how
to
take
advantage
of
this
program,
and
so
you
we
absolutely
agree
that
you
know
we
should
involve
the
council
members
at
every
step
in
this,
that
you
guys
are
really
the
champions
who
get
this
done.
A
We've
done
wonderful
events
in
your
district
I
think
we
actually
have
done
the
most
community
outreach
events
that
in
the
past
year
of
the
hundred
and
seventy
four,
we
did
I
think
the
highest
number
might
have
been
in
the
ninth
district,
and
so
we
really
value
these
community
partnerships.
The
folks
who
know
these
neighborhoods
better
than
us
and
are
better
commended
connected,
and
so
we
really
apologize
that
in
this
instance,
we
didn't
go
about
it
the
right
way,
and
it
was
about
a
hundred
and
sixty
one
tax
payers
or
homeowners
who
had
fallen
behind
that.
B
Preservation
of
their
own
home
and
pay
in
their
property
taxes
before
we
have
any
coordinated
efforts
with
any
nonprofits
any
elected
officials
or
any
other
willing
do-gooders
who
all
of
a
sudden
become
vested
and
making
sure
that
Philadelphians
are
paying
their
fair
share.
They
need
to
be
in
contact
with
the
district
council
person
and
was
the
ninth
district,
the
only
district
that
this
occurred
in
because
I
want
to
know.
Why
was
my
district
targeted?
If
I
have
the
number
one
constituency,
that's
in
payment
agreements
and
the
third
few
was
delinquent
accounts
in
the
city?
A
B
Appreciate
I
appreciate
you
acknowledging
that,
and
let
me
just
say
this
I
had
the
great
honor
and
privilege
of
serving
for
10
years
in
a
Pennsylvania
house
five
of
those
years.
You
know
the
interesting
opportunity
to
serve
as
chair
of
the
delegation
work
with
my
colleague,
councilman
Allen
down
in
that
capacity
on
the
bill
that
gave
the
city
of
Philadelphia
additional
powers
for
the
collection
of
delinquent
property
taxes.
B
So
I
was
vested
in
revenues
work
long
before
I
arrived
and
we
you
know
the
bill
was
not
only
just
for
Philadelphia,
but
for
the
first
time
when
people
saw
this
power
that
was
much
needed
about
to
be
bestowed
on
the
city
of
Philadelphia.
Can
you
believe
that
the
rest
of
the
state
saying
wait?
This
should
be
statewide,
you
know
we
every
other
County
should
have
the
ability
to
do
this.
Please
don't
ever
for
my
people
of
the
dish.
I,
don't
think
the
district
council
person
will
feel
different,
but
I
mean
for
the
night
council.
B
Medic
district
I
can
only
speak
for
me.
Don't
do
that
to
my
people,
if
you
partner
with
a
non-profit,
you
tell
me
because
I
have
a
slew
of
community-based
activities
and
I
work
with
state
reps
I
work
with
state
senators,
I
work
with
federal
officials,
I
work
with
nonprofits,
we
work
together,
but
it
is
not
together
when
I
don't
know
and
I'm
lambasted
with
this.
Mr.
chairman
I
did
ask
the
president
just
to
give
me
a
little
leeway
before
we
start
it,
because
I
do
have
to
leave
the
next
line.
B
A
questioning
that
I
have
is
I
want
to
stay
on
on
the
issue
of
the
collection
of
delinquent
property
taxes
and
I
want
to
ask
you,
in
terms
of
those
properties,
one
those
firms
that
are
hired
to
collect
for
us.
Do
we
collect
data
on
you
know
their
collection
rates
and
how
effective
they
are.
So
we
can
know
whether
or
not
we're
getting
a
return
on
our
investment,
and
is
that
included
and
I
just
didn't
look
at
it
and
the
data
that
you
share
with
us
today.
We.
C
B
What
what
I
would
like
to
have
a
sent
to
the
president
for
distribution
to
all
members
is
I
want
to
see
the
performance
of
those
firms
that
are
hired
by
the
city
of
Philadelphia
to
collect
both
residential
and
commercial
tax,
liens
right,
residential
and
commercial.
In
addition
to
that,
tell
me
the
trigger,
because
this
is
something
I
haven't
understood.
What's
the
trigger
for
when
a
an
account
is
sent
over
to
one
of
those
firms?
Is
it
a
certain
amount
that
you
become
delinquent
in?
Is
it
a?
B
Is
it
a
list
of
time
that
you
become
delinquent
in
and
right
now
is
every
residential
and
commercial
account
that
we
should
be
collecting
on?
Have
we
sent
those
to
those
firms
that
are
doing
the
business
to
collect,
because
this
is
what
happened
I'm
in
colony
and
East
Oak
Lane,
this
past
Saturday
and
we're
going
through
the
budget
proposal
and
we're
talking
about
what
we
need
to
fund
the
schools
and
we're
talking
about
a
proposed
increase
in
property
taxes
and
the
folks
say:
wait
a
minute
shirelle?
B
Are
we
maxing
out
on
our
ability
to
collect
a
delinquent
property
taxes,
so
I
go
through
the
spill
about
the
legislation?
I
talk
about
what
you
know
at
the
great
job
that
I
think
you
all
are
doing.
I
didn't
have
the
data
to
confirm
whether
or
not
the
firms
who
are
working
to
collect
for
us
how
successful
they've
been,
but
then
the
the
the
billion
dollar
question
is
well
sure
al.
B
B
C
C
B
B
Go
right
there,
commish
internal
for
law
department,
help
me
understand.
What's
the
trigger
for
what
delinquent,
residential
and
commercial
accounts
are
given
to
those
firms,
so
we
hire
to
do
that
work
and
then,
what's
the
what's,
the
the
rationale
or
trigger
or
methodology
for
keeping
them
in-house
to
let
the
law
department
collect.
C
C
Fee
are
to
co-counsels
rate,
is
18%
a
see
for
such
gets
passed
along.
So
what
we
basically
do
is
take
the
accounts
that
we
think
are
essentially
the
easiest
collection
and
we
keep
those
in
house
and
we
work
those
the
ones
that
are
going
to
take.
The
more
significant
effort
are
divided
equally
between
the
two
vendors.
So
it's
as
simple
as
that
you
know,
law
department
takes
their
piece.
What's
left
gets
divided
in
half
and
goes
out
to
the
two
vendors.
That's.
B
All
one
now,
let
me
thank
you
for
just
gives
us
answering
the
complex
question
in
plain
English
right,
so
I
appreciate
that.
But
this
is
what
I'm
going
to
ask
you,
mr.
chairman,
I'll,
be
done.
I
get
the
internal
rate
at
6%,
the
18%
fee
that
is
charged
by
these
firms,
my
question
and
that
the
easier
accounts
are
given
where
we
can
pay
the
lower
amount,
the
six
percent
right.
We
try
to
do
it
in-house
because
it
should
be
easier
to
collect
what
I
would
like
to
see
is.
B
Can
we
measure
the
effectiveness,
and/or,
the
success
of
and
the
time
period,
because,
if
we're
talking
about,
let's
just
say,
if
there
was
an
additional
200
250,
300
million
out
there
in
delinquent
accounts,
that
we
could
be
getting
that
money
in
let's
say
within
the
next
12
to
24
months,
that
we
could
have
on
our
books
that
amount
of
money
that
we
need
to
help
address
this
school
district
crisis
that
we
have
right
now,
not
that
it
goes
away,
but
it
is
significantly
we
started
at
966.
What's
the
number
now
674
676
6670
right?
B
C
That's
something
we're
looking
at
we're,
always
looking
at
the
collection
rate
of
our
vendors
and
our
internal
collection
rate,
just
to
maximize
that.
In
addition,
starting
about
five
years
ago,
we
started
a
new
process
where,
on
the
real
estate,
taxes
are
due
March
31st
and
effective
April,
1st
they're
overdue,
and
not
yet
delinquent.
They
don't
become
delinquent
until
the
beginning
of
the
next
year,
but
they're
overdue.
They
used
to
sit
until
they
became
delinquent
and
then
go
out
and
go
through
the
process.
We
just
talked
about
now.
As
soon
as
they
become
overdue.
C
We
send
those
out
not
to
law
firms
but
to
collection,
agencies
and
they'll
start
getting
notice
saying
during
the
year
and
that
noticing
ramps
up
up
until
about
November
and
when
in
November
we
send
them
all.
Essentially
a
final
letter
that
says,
if
you
don't
pay
before
December
31st,
you
know
bad
things
are
going
to
happen.
In
terms
of
you
know,
it's
gonna
be
a
lien
on
your
house.
C
You're
gonna
get
legal
fees
and,
and
that's
been
really
effective,
so
we're
kind
of
on
board
with
what
we're
saying
and
we're
trying
to
jump
on
them
as
soon
as
they're
overdue,
get
them
out
to
collectors,
start
the
process
so
we're
starting
the
process
much
earlier
than
we
used
to
we're
keeping
it
with
those
collectors.
We
have
two
collectors
doing
that
portfolio.
We
measure
both
of
those
we
we
make
it
competitive.
We
let
them
know
if
one's
outperforming
the
other.
We
let
them
know
where
they
should
be.
That's
been
very
effective
for
us.
C
Over
the
last
five
years,
the
total
principal
has
been
reduced
by
31%,
and
the
number
of
delinquent
accounts
has
been
reduced
by
twenty
over
twenty
percent.
Our
collection
rate
in
the
year
of
the
levy
is
at
a
new
high
95.5%
and
we're
trending
higher
in
the
current
year.
So
we're
really
excited
about
that.
So
I
think
you
know
we
have
a
strategy,
we've
been
utilizing
it
over
the
last
several
years.
It's
really
paying
its
dividends
and
I
think
that
we
are
maximizing
our
collection
so.
B
B
My
people
know
I
can't
speak
for
any
other
district.
My
people,
in
addition
to
that,
where
this
council
is
going
to
be
X,
to
make
the
tough
decision
about
whatever
the
package
will
look
like.
So
if
you
could
Commission
send
that
information
to
us,
then
you
give
me
the
data
that
I
need
to
go
out
and
make
the
case
for
what
I
feel
like
the
cities'
plan
should
be.
Thank.