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Brookhaven council hires Portnoff Law Associates to collect delinquent municipal claims
Summary
Council voted to hire Portnoff Law Associates and to advertise an ordinance that would shift collection fees to delinquent taxpayers. Portnoff’s representative said the process uses the Municipal Claims and Tax Liens Act and includes hardship options and short initial demand fees.
Brookhaven Borough Council voted on March 2 to appoint Portnoff Law Associates to handle collection of delinquent municipal claims and to advertise an ordinance authorizing the firm to collect and to shift collection costs to delinquent payers.
The solicitor introduced the two-step proposal: a motion to appoint Portnoff as the borough’s collector and a separate motion to advertise an ordinance that would put collection fees and costs onto delinquent accounts rather than the borough. After a Portnoff representative described the firm’s process, council approved both motions by voice vote.
“Under the Municipal Claims and Tax Liens Act, municipalities may recover collection costs from the delinquent property owner,” the firm’s representative said, describing the firm’s approach. He said Portnoff typically offers a short payment-plan window (six months is a common maximum set by the municipality), a hardship program for customers with medical or financial difficulties, and a graduated demand-fee structure to prompt early payment: an initial $25 demand, followed by a $40 certified demand plus postage if unpaid, with additional fees and costs thereafter.
Supporters on council and in staff argued the arrangement would be cost-neutral to taxpayers because fees would be borne by the delinquent accounts rather than the borough. During public comment prior to the vote, resident John Basilio questioned outsourcing collections and asked why the solicitor could not perform the work without an outside firm. The solicitor and the Portnoff representative replied that specialized collection firms can improve efficiency and shift costs away from the borough.
The council’s vote authorized the borough to (1) enter the agreement with Portnoff Law Associates to pursue delinquent municipal claims and (2) advertise the ordinance that would implement the fee-shifting mechanism and set the firm’s authority, to be considered at a future meeting.
What happens next: the ordinance will be advertised for public comment and a future council vote; the firm’s representative said municipal parameters — such as payment-plan length and hardship eligibility — are set by the borough and can be tailored when the ordinance is drafted.
