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07/03/2002 14:04 FAX 9037583331 LGBP&S ~002 LINEBARGER GOGGAN BLAIR PEiqlA & SAMPSON, LLP 217 N. CENTER STREET LONGVIEW, TEXAS 75601 903/757-5448 FAX 903/758-3331 July3,2002 City of Paris Council Members Paris, Texas RE: Delhlquent Tax Collection Report Honorable Members: Since you retained our firm beginning January 1 of this year, we have been busy implementing a collection program on your behalf and addressing some of the City's apecial needs. This is the fixst of hopefully many reports I will present to the Council to keep you informed on our firm's actions on your behal£ First, let me address collections. R takes a while to get a collection progxam up to spee,:l, but 1 feel we arc well on our way. We began our collection efforts by making a mailing in January targeted only to the City of Paris delinquent taxpayers. We followed that up in February with our regular mailing on behalf of all our Lamer County clients. Additional mailings will be made this month and in November. We have targeted and izdtiated litigation o~ 83 of your larger delinquent accounts involving nearly $200,000.00 owed to the City. A great d~l more accounts will be targeted in the upcoming months until at least half your roll is either collected, under litigation or payment agreements have been signed. This activity has already resulted in a si~ificant increase in your d¢linquunt tax collections. We have collected approximately $114,000.00 in delinquent taxes owed for the years 2000 and prior in our first six months. Tiffs compares to collections of approximately of $88,000.00 in the prior six months. This is a 30% increase. We expect the upcoming six months to be even more productive. We have also devoled a great deal of resoua'ces in assisting the City in its ,~th Street drainage project. By thc use of Tax Warrants we seized and sold 20 lots in thc Williams and Booth Additions. While this did not generate a large amount of tax revenue to the City, disposing or the property through Tax Warrants was substanlially less expensive than traditional condemnation procccdhigs. We are continuing to target vacant and abandoned properties within the City through Tax Warrants. 16 additional properties will be offered for sale in August.