A special enforcement effort to collect past due real estate taxes in Ottawa County has resulted in more than $1.1 million being collected in 18 months.

Mark Mulligan, county prosecutor, and Bob Hille, treasurer, said they’ve concluded the initial phase of their campaign to collect to overdue revenues, which focused on large delinquencies they claim were the result of willful failure to pay.

When confronted with the possibility of foreclosure, many property owners paid the outstanding debt, Mulligan and Hille said, while others opted to go through the foreclosure process.

“Foreclosure is the final alternative, but is sometimes necessary to get the property into the hand of taxpaying citizens,” Hille said.

The two focused their efforts on residential and commercial properties, many of which they described as “vacant and deteriorating.”

“These rundown buildings can bring down values in an entire block,” Mulligan said. “We hope the new ownership will invigorate the community.”

While their initial effort is winding down, Mulligan and Hille said they anticipate beginning another round of collections “in the near future.”

“Our schools and libraries are facing budget cuts, in part due to a rise in unpaid real estate taxes. It’s important to everyone that they get the support they are entitled to,” Hille said.

A report issued earlier this year by the Ohio Department of Taxation, indicates total delinquencies statewide reached $1.9 billion in 2009, an increase of 7.5 percent from the 2008 total of $1.75 billion.

The report covers three categories of delinquent taxes: tangible personal property, real property plus public utility personal property, and special assessments.

Among Ohio counties, Cuyahoga had the highest level of total delinquencies with $499.4 million. About $345.1 million of that was from real property.

Monroe County had the lowest amount at $1 million, including $789,467 in real property public utility personal tax delinquencies.

Locally,  Lucas County saw total delinquencies reach almost $86 million, including $15.4 million in tangible personal property taxes; $61.7 million in real property and public utility personal property taxes, and $8.6 million in special assessments.

Wood County had a total of $15.3 million. That included $5 million in tangible personal property taxes; $9.1 million in real property and public utility personal property taxes, and $1.16 million in special assessments.

Ottawa County had a total of $7.46 million, including $5.4 million in real and public utility personal property; $1.5 million in tangible personal property, and $504,012 in special assessments.

Sandusky County’s total reached $5.7 million, which included $4.5 million in real and public utility personal property taxes; $872,378 in tangible personal property taxes, and $292,355 in special assessments.

The figures include penalties and interest and were compiled from abstracts filed by county auditors with the tax department.

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