If you’re delinquent on your personal property taxes, you may want to pay them in the next couple weeks — otherwise, you might lose your vehicle.
As part of a new partnership with Virginia Auction Co., James City County will now be using license-plate readers to identify vehicles that have delinquent personal property taxes, the county said in a news release.
The patrols are slated to start Sept. 17. James City County has $1.4 million in delinquent personal property taxes, Treasurer Jenni Tomes said.
The vehicles using the plate readers — which will be marked and be staffed by Virginia Auction Co. employees in full uniform — will patrol neighborhoods, public and private parking lots, and county streets to find vehicles with overdue taxes, Tomes said.
At that time, a “nonrestraining” seizure warrant will be served on the vehicle, meaning the vehicle has legally been seized, but will not be towed yet. The warrants are the size of a full sheet of paper and will be put on the vehicle’s window.
The statute also allows the warrants to be served on vehicles in driveways.
After the seizure warrant is served, additional collection fees are added to the delinquent tax bill. The minimum amount is 20 percent of the total delinquent balance, Tomes said.
The property owner has three days, or 72 hours, to pay their delinquent taxes before their vehicle is taken into county possession, the release said. Residents who have delinquent taxes can also set up payment plans at the treasurer’s office if they meet certain criteria.
If the delinquent taxes are not paid, the vehicle may be seized by Virginia Auction Co. Vehicles may also be sold after they are seized.
Tomes said this tax collection tool is available to treasurers throughout Virginia. Other localities such as Isle of Wight County, Franklin and Portsmouth use a similar service.
The county has a contract with the auction company, Tomes said, but does not pay for the service. Instead, Virginia Auction Co. takes the additional collection fees charged when the warrant is issued.
At first, the auction company will focus on vehicles that have three to five years worth of delinquent taxes, which may take longer to find.
“In addition, my staff will continue to work delinquent accounts by other methods (wage liens, bank liens, judgments, distresses, etc),” Tomes wrote Friday in an email.
Taxpayers with questions or concerns should call the treasurer’s office at 757-253-6705.
