Photo by Joselyn King
Ohio County commissioners Don Nickerson, left, Randy Wharton and Commission President Zach Abraham; County Administrator Randy Russell and Solicitor Randy Russell sit down to a commission meeting Tuesday night that took place in the 5th floor courtroom at the City-County Building.
WHEELING – There are some businesses in Ohio County who haven’t paid their county business property taxes in nearly a decade, and Sheriff Nelson Croft said he will soon be visiting them.
Croft discussed the matter during Tuesday’s meeting of the Belmont County Commission.
He explained he has had the County Tax Office employees assemble a list of businesses that are delinquent in their business property tax.
“And we have some that have not paid since 2016,” Croft said. “This week, they are going to start getting a visit from me first, then we are going to seek legal actions to collect these back taxes.
“If I have to face losing my house because I don’t pay my taxes, they should do the same.”
County Assessor Tiffany Hoffman more likened collection of the tax to that of paying car taxes. If a person fails to pay their car taxes, they cannot purchase a license sticker for the next year until the tax bill is satisfied.
Likewise, the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office will not renew a business’s license to operate if they do not pay, according to Hoffman.
“The previous sheriff did not go out to collect these business property taxes,” Hoffman explained. “They’ve already been taxed. They are just sitting on our books waiting to be paid.
“In the state of West Virginia, there is nothing the sheriff can do except go to those businesses and try to collect. That is what Nelson is going to do.”
Neither Hoffman or Croft knew exactly how many businesses were long-term delinquent, but Croft estimated it to be about “10 to 12.”
“It’s enough to cause concern,” Croft said.
Hoffman said the amount of the tax owed the county is likely significant, as there would be interest and fines added to the amount.
“Let’s say it was $100 (the initial bill),” she explained. “You’re going to have a $20 publication fee, plus interest. Every month there is interest added to it.
“It’s not like real estate where you can just sell the property at auction and there is an actual piece of land. This is more like you do for cars. If you don’t pay your car taxes you don’t get your sticker.”
It is also likely the business hasn’t paid the bill in successive years, Hoffman continued.
She explained under West Virginia law, if the sheriff is unsuccessful in collecting the delinquent taxes from the business, the county notifies the Secretary of State’s Office.
Some businesses haven’t paid their tax bill because there has been discussion at the state level about abolishing the tax, according to Hoffman.
“But it hasn’t gone away,” she continued. “It just hasn’t been collected. I’m very happy to hear he is going out to do this, because it needs to be done.”