Carson property owners owe $1.8M in taxes

Carson City property owners owe about $1.8 million in back taxes and penalties, according to the annual delinquent tax list printed in the Nevada Appeal on Friday.

That's up from the $1.7 million owed last year. Meanwhile, 605 parcels were listed this year, up from 583 in 2010, said Carson City Treasurer Alvin Kramer.

For some perspective, about 475 property owners owed $582,627 in back taxes in 2005.

This year, the largest bill comes from one of the principle developers of the Jet Ranch at the Carson City airport. KCXP Investments, which defaulted on its $3.3 million loan in late 2010, according to city records, owes Carson City $98,689.21 in back taxes and penalties.

The recession's effect on area business was evident in this year's delinquent tax list, Kramer said, adding many businesses started treating the 10 percent annual penalty on back taxes as a way to buy some time.

Among those were Dwight Millard's Empire Ranch Golf Course, which is on the hook for $84,155.36.

"It's just the economy," said Millard, who is paying back taxes on other properties throughout Carson City. On Friday he was paying $30,000 in back taxes on the Rand Motel.

"We're better off now than we were a year ago," he said. For example, the apartment complex he owns on Edmonds Drive had 55 vacant units out of 183 last year. Today there are 24 vacant apartments.

He said he will have until next May to payoff the taxes and penalties owed on the Empire Ranch Golf Course - the city gives delinquent taxpayers about four years before it takes over the property and sells it in an auction.

Kramer said many property owners who owe back taxes will wait to pay them back for that very reason.

"He sees this as a business decision to pay his taxes or to pay his bills," Kramer said. "It is a 10 percent loan he doesn't have to qualify for."

Kramer said he's only had to take over one property and sell it at auction in his 15 years as Carson City treasurer - and even that property was delinquent because the owner had died and the other interested parties wanted nothing to do with the property.

"We always collect every dime," he said.