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Borough says unpaid rental-permit letters total $75,882; plans enforcement and additional staffing
Summary
The borough reported $75,882 in rental-permit fees billed for 2023–2024, with $22,138 collected so far. The finance director said the borough will continue outreach and pursue license suspension or revocation where appropriate, while hiring a new staff member dedicated to rental licensing.
During the finance committee meeting the director reported that the borough mailed rental-permit notices for unpaid rental permits covering 2023 and 2024. The total amount billed was $75,882; as of the meeting the borough had collected $22,138.
The notices were mailed in mid-January with property owners given 10 days to make payment, which would have moved the due date to Feb. 1. The director said the borough will continue to process returned emails and paperwork and aims to escalate unresolved unpaid permits; the director also corrected an earlier phrase and said the borough’s tool is a license the borough issues and it has the authority to suspend or revoke licenses rather than imposing a separate citation process.
The director told the committee much of the incoming volume has been handled through forwarded emails from the building-and-housing office, and staff are working through what the director described as a backlog. The borough will rerun the report that initially identified the defaulted licenses to narrow the list for individualized follow-up. The director said many property owners who had paid through escrow or the portal were reconciled after staff reviewed payments and tenant-landlord forms.
The director described operational steps: running the initial default report again, using SmartGov contact records to call or email owners with multiple contact methods, and assigning a new staff member (starting next Tuesday) who will be dedicated to rental licensing and record review. The director said the goal is to complete due diligence before any suspension or revocation actions and to have unpaid permits moved to enforcement status by March 1 if still unresolved.
Committee members asked about alternative outreach methods for absentee landlords; the director said mailed letters had been sent and that the borough has email and portal addresses for many owners but will use SmartGov contact lists to try phone and other contacts.
No formal enforcement actions were reported at the meeting; the director described this as ongoing administrative follow-up and planning for individualized attention where necessary.
