Albany board reaffirms tax-deed and asks staff to design administrative fee for payment plans

At its Aug. 27 meeting the Albany Select Board reaffirmed a prior decision to tax-deed a property and directed staff to research a proposed administrative fee for future payment arrangements.

The Clerk reported that a Wilderness Road property had been tax-deeded last week and that the town had offered the owner the option of requesting a written payment arrangement or paying the balance in full. The Clerk said the town had arranged insurance for the property through PrimeX.

"I've always said it. It's not my intention as a selectman to take people's property away from them," a committee member said during discussion, stressing the board's preference for redemption where possible. Board members nevertheless acknowledged the tax-deeding process can be lengthy and administratively costly.

Members discussed charging an administrative fee to recoup staff time, legal expenses and insurance costs incurred when setting up and managing payment plans. The Clerk agreed to research the issues, including the town's accounting and legal options, and to draft a policy for the board's consideration at a future meeting.

The board voted to reaffirm the prior tax-deeding decision and asked staff to return with specific fee language and a recommended procedure for implementing payment arrangements. The exact fee amount and the policy details were not specified during the meeting.

What happens next: the Clerk will research administrative-fee options and prepare a draft policy for a future agenda so the board can consider formal adoption.