FARMINGTON — Selectmen approved a new policy Tuesday night that will help collect delinquent taxes or utility payments.

“This is something you can implement if we have vendors that we pay for services and they have delinquent personal property taxes, real estate taxes,” Treasurer Tammy Bureau said. “We could hold the check, apply it to their taxes. If the check was more than what they owed, we would pay their taxes, send them a receipt for the difference after taxes, and a letter explaining what we did.”

That’s state law, the Bureau said. She wasn’t sure how many sellers in Farmington there are or the number of people with personal property accounts. “Personal property is the hardest to collect,” she said. You can take them to court, you can spend the money, you can get the judgment. Good luck getting the money. You can’t put a lien on it.”

Chairman Joshua Bell asked if the policy could be used for someone renewing a liquor license.

This policy is strictly to pay someone for his services, Bureau thought. The clerk in Lewiston (where the Bureau once worked) uses something similar for licenses, she said. “They would have a list of those accounts and let us know if they had an expiring license. We could send them a letter and let them know that the license will not be renewed unless these fees are paid.”

The bureau said Lewiston has also flagged vehicle registrations for those who habitually do not pay their taxes.

City Administrator Erica LaCroix said only the excise portion of a vehicle’s registration can be denied.

“Okay, but if we refuse the excise, they can’t register their vehicle because you can’t register your vehicle until you go to your city to pay the excise,” the Bureau said. The TRIO software (used in many municipalities) has a feature that indicates when a vehicle owner owes taxes, not to register the vehicle until the taxes have been paid or a payment plan has been made, she said.

A similar policy was in place in Winslow for business permit renewals, LaCroix said. Winslow had to come up with a special policy for that, she wasn’t sure if it was a state law or if a municipality could decide that. “I would think a liquor license would fall under the same thing,” she said. “I don’t see why it wouldn’t be.”

The office said it will reach out to its contacts in Lewiston for information on applicable state laws.

The city attorney has reviewed that policy, it noted.

By state statute, any municipality may withhold payment of amounts due from any taxpayer whose taxes are in whole or in part unpaid, in an amount not to exceed the unpaid taxes, together with any interest and costs. The tax collector’s rights shall not be affected by any process of assignment or trustee, the statute notes.

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