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Seymour board approves process to offer unpaid sewer/water liens for sale, sets last-day-of-March payment deadline
Summary
The board approved a resolution allowing the Water Pollution Control Authority to pursue sale of unpaid sewer and water liens and directed staff to issue an RFQ for potential lien purchasers; staff said the outstanding list totals more than $1 million and that attorney review is ongoing.
The Board of Selectpersons authorized the townprocedure for offering unpaid sewer and water liens to outside purchasers, with staff to issue a request for qualifications and to send a final notice giving property owners until the last day of March to pay before a sale.
The WPCA presented the board with a large list of delinquent accounts that staff and the town attorney are reviewing for accuracy. Officials said the list has prompted some payments after letters went out and that outstanding balances total more than $1 million. The board discussed notice procedures, a short final-payment window to spur collections, and the mechanics of transferring lien rights to a purchaser.
Council members asked staff to make sure the attorney completes verification to avoid selling liens that have been paid or were recorded incorrectly. The board and staff agreed to go to RFQ for lien purchasers while sending a final warning notice; the board set the payment deadline as the last day of March and said the RFQ process would proceed in parallel so any purchaser could be selected in early April.
Supporters framed the sale as a practical step to recover long-unpaid balances and reduce administrative burden on town staff and the WPCA. Some members expressed concern about the human impact of liens that could ultimately force property sales; the board discussed options such as payment plans and legal review before assignment to a purchaser.
What happens next: staff will finalize attorney review of the lien list, issue a final notice with the March deadline, and issue an RFQ to identify potential buyers; the board indicated it would accept the RFQ award at a subsequent meeting.
