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Tax committee halves sliver‑lot bill, waives interest after owner says he wasn’t notified
Summary
The New Haven Tax Abatement Committee voted to cut past-due taxes by 50% and waive interest for a small parcel owner who says he repeatedly was told his account had a zero balance and only recently learned of bills dating to 2021–2023.
The New Haven Tax Abatement Committee on Tuesday approved a partial tax abatement for a homeowner who said he purchased a narrow “sliver” lot years ago and was not notified of recent bills.
The committee voted to reduce the 2021–2023 tax liability on the sliver lot by 50% and to waive accrued interest, and it directed staff to set a short repayment window so the owner could avoid renewed charges.
The applicant said he has owned the adjacent house for decades and bought the sliver lot more recently. “I have to pay,” he told the committee when asked whether he understood a tax obligation. He said he repeatedly visited the tax office over several years and was told his balance was zero.
Don Hayden, the committee’s fiscal analyst, told members the tax office’s records show an outstanding grand‑list amount of $7,988.09 for the years under review and interest of $1,332.13. Hayden said the city’s recordkeeping and mailing can produce cases where tax bills are not received and later surface as multi‑year delinquencies.
Committee members discussed the limited discretion available to staff and the practical limits of waivers. One member noted that the city has generally forgiven interest in comparable cases where taxpayers show they lacked notice; another member urged a shorter repayment period to avoid carrying liabilities into a new fiscal year.
The committee’s motion — approved by a majority — removed the interest and cut the assessed 2021–2023 liability in half, and it directed staff to confirm the owner’s mailing address and to return with a specific payment schedule at the committee’s next meeting. The committee asked the tax office to ensure future bills are delivered so the matter does not recur.
The action applies only to the sliver lot account identified at the hearing and does not change tax obligations for any other property owned by the same person.
