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South Burlington applicant seeks abatement of interest and penalties tied to COVID-era business losses
Summary
At a May 14 Board of Abatement hearing, an applicant identified as Fuan Lang Lam asked the board to abate interest and penalties on taxes accrued while their restaurant was recovering from COVID-era losses; staff said the current outstanding balance is $8,514.56 and the original requested abatement listed was $12,452.14.
Chair Chris Shaw opened the hearing for parcel 18‑1002026 and confirmed the statutory abatement category: taxes, interest and collection fees. The applicant acknowledged business losses during the COVID period and said those losses left them behind on property tax payments.
"During COVID, my I have a, restaurant takeout restaurant...business didn't do well," the applicant said, describing the pandemic impact on operations and a multi‑part payment plan. City staff told the board the current outstanding balance is $8,514.56; the applicant said the cover letter accompanying the request showed an earlier abatement amount of $12,452.14 that represented interest and penalties.
Board members reviewed the packet — tax bills, delinquent notices and a proposed payment schedule — and asked whether recent payments had been routed first to interest. Staff explained how payments apply: "when there are delinquent balances and a payment is made, that payment, first goes to cover any kind of payment interest first," a staff member said.
Members also queried the applicant about other sources of income at the site; the applicant reported receiving approximately $222,200 per year from a preexisting cellular‑tower lease on the property. The board closed testimony and said it would enter deliberations later and issue a written decision within 30 days.
The board did not take a final vote on the abatement request during the public session; it moved into a closed deliberative session to consider the case.
