Sticking It To The Man

What happens when a property owner fails to cut the grass until the yard becomes an eyesore? The city may step in and order an abatement, meaning the place gets cleaned up and the cost turns into a lien owed to the city when the property is eventually sold.

The sight of a familiar name on the list up for a City Council vote tonight prompted Plaintalker to ask about the process. Yes, all these owners got prior notice of a code violation. But while one council member shared my concern about what looked like a well-compensated city employee being on the list, another offered the notion that it was a fairly common ploy to let the city cut the grass at a cost to some future owner of the property.

His point? It's cheaper than paying someone now to do the job.

My point was that such logic meant an expenditure by the city might or might not ever get repaid the $443 cost of abatement for just that one yard. Overall, these liens add up to many thousands of dollars when, for whatever reason, the property owner declines to take responsibility.

Similarly, the recent tax lien sale list contained the names of several prominent city figures who should have been able to pay what they owed. In that case, if they don't pay, the city gets the money from lien buyers and the property owner then owes the buyer the money at up to 18 percent interest and with a threat of foreclosure if not paid. However, recouping the money comes at a cost to the city in terms of a delayed revenue flow and a lower collection rate than if people paid on time.

The last list had unpaid property taxes on 41 apparently unsold condos owned by a developer who is wrangling with the city over about a quarter-million dollars in costs for the "free" senior center.

Back in the day, political militants felt it was only fair to "stick it to the man," that is, defy the oppressor by refusing to pay taxes or honor other obligations imposed by the government. But who is being hurt by such an atttitude now that power is in the hands of the majority population in Plainfield? What example is being set when even top officials turn up on these lists? It looks more like a selfish disregard for the well-being of the city than a radical political statement.

Oh well. The council's regular meeting for July is 8 p.m. tonight in Municipal Court. Besides property abatements, there are a few items of interest. One is a resolution to appoint Diane Sherry-Buono as treasurer from Aug. 1, 2012 to July 31, 2013. Sherry-Buono was formerly nominated as chief financial officer, but no action was taken. In a discussion at the July 9 agenda-fixing session, officials said there will be both a fulltime treasurer and a fulltime CFO in the future to strengthen fiscal controls, but without a nomination for the latter, it looks like the city will continue dependence on five to eight hours of service a week from acting CFO Glenn Cullen.

Hired on an emergency basis in February, Cullen holds two fulltime titles in nearly South Plainfield and is giving whatever time he can spare to Plainfield. Given the state ultimatum in November 2010 that resulted in the hiring of Ron Zilinski as CFO, one wonders how long the state will allow the situation to continue before putting pressure again on the council and administration to fill the mandated CFO post.

The full agenda is posted on the city's new web site. View it here.


--Bernice