County leaders say many times their hands are tied when it comes to collecting the cash.
The majority of property owners in Greene County do pay their taxes. But the treasurer says a handful owe more than $8 million.
"It's frustrating, but it's the sign of the times," said Treasurer Dick Gould.
The top offender is Premier Hotel Group, which operates the Baymont Inn and Suites in fairborn. We were told the owner wasn't available. The company is currently in the middle of bankruptcy proceedings so Gould can't take any legal action against the owners. They haven't paid almost $270,000 in property taxes over the past five years.
"It's unfair to the people who do work and pay their property taxes," said Corrinna Sammons, a mother of four children.
A vacant commercial property in Beavercreek on Esquire Drive is owned by Yatin and Paul Desai. They owe more than $97,000 in back taxes. They're also in bankruptcy and therefore untouchable.
The third worst delinquency is the Ramada Inn Hotel in Xenia, which owes about $64,000.
The owner declined an interview but did say business has been bad for the past several years, and he didn't have the money to pay. He's meeting with the treasurer's office next week to set up a payment plan.
The treasurer's office has started the foreclosure process on hundreds of property owners that don't pay up. But doing so doesn't necessarily mean the delinquent taxes get paid. There's a vacant property on E. Main that used to be someone's home. The city had to tear it down because it was an eyesore, but the real problem is the property owes the county more than $18,000 in back taxes, and it's only worth less than $4,000.
"No one will every buy that property because they would have to pay the delinquent taxes," Gould said.
"They should be taking action on it, not just letting it go," Sammons said.
New state legislation allows local governments to form what's called a land bank. Basically a board of elected officials would be able to use money collected from back taxes to buy properties that owe more than they're worth. Delinquent dollars would be wiped away, making properties like this one a lot cheaper...
"The only thing that we can hope is that we can get it in the hands of someone who will pay the taxes," said Gould.
But there's still no guarantee the county will ever recover the $8 million owed.
The Greene County Treasurer is currently working with County Commissioners on legislation to form the land bank. We will continue following this story and let you know when the Commissioners put the issue to a vote.
