Buckfield extends foreclosure deadline

BUCKFIELD — The Board of Selectmen granted a 90-day extension to delinquent taxpayers whose properties have been foreclosed.

The vote affects six properties, for which the town is owed a total of $8,865.13.

"Historically, the selectmen have given somewhere between 60 and 90 days to allow these property owners to come back in and pay the grand total," said Town Manager Glen Holmes, "which is all taxes, interest, lien costs, to current. Then they can buy their property back in a sense."

If the owners come forward to pay the amount owed, they will have re-purchased their properties.

If not, "we could own some property," mused Selectman Robin Buswell.

"It's possible," agreed Holmes.

Town Clerk Cindy Dunn reported that the property owners have been less vocal about wanting an extension this year, which could indicate a lack of interest in reclaiming the property.

"Nobody has requested an extension on this," said Dunn, which Holmes called "unusual."

"Last year we had seven foreclosures," said Dunn. "This year we had six. Last year, we had probably 50 percent asking for an extension."

The tax lien foreclosures are for taxes that were assessed in the 2008-09 fiscal year. Three of the properties are owned by residents, while three are owned by two area businesses.

The amounts due for the tax liens are small in relation to the value of the properties.

The amounts due on the properties range from $168.78 to $4,019.40, numbers which reflect everything from the original unpaid balance to the current fiscal year's taxes.

The board voted to give delinquent taxpayers until June 21 to lay claim to their property. The move is in keeping with votes in previous years, and the date is tied to the beginning of the next fiscal year.

The next meeting of the Board of Selectmen is Tuesday, April 5 at 6:30 p.m.