For Laurel Street residents, police coverage seems to have increased. I have spotted HPD bicycle patrols while watering the Farmington/Laurel garden, and on other afternoons, I spied cop cars parked on all corners of the intersection.

That's awesome.

Now for the bad news: Landlord Tom Shelto informed me Friday, July 29 that HPD told him it is not interested in opening a substation on the corner of Farmington and Laurel in the old Army National Guard space.

"I talked to them at the end of last week," Shelto said. "At this point they have said they are not going to put a station there. They really didn't give me a good reason. They had some other things they were working on, they said they were working on a new headquarters, but they didn't give me a good reason."

HPD still has the keys to use the storefront as a temporary substation, as Shelto promised to the city to use for free. Apparently, as negotiations gained steam, Shelto offered the city a discount on rent if HPD wanted to open a permanent substation.

Rent of the space is $3,000 a month, Shelto said, but he offered it to the police department at a cut-rate $2,000 a month. Another source told me he offered it to the city for $2,500 a month. Another source said $3,200 a month.

Niggling aside, I haven't heard the police side of the story. HPD spokesperson Nancy Mulroy said she is not privy to negotiations. Capt. Nancy McClure, who Mulroy directed me to, has a full voicemail box.

It's too bad, because I really wanted to ask Hartford's finest what they thought of the fact that Shelto and his company, B A Investments, LLC owe Hartford about $7,920 in back taxes, some $2,610 of it for six properties he owns in the Willoughby.

If the police didn't know about this tax bill, why not? And if HPD did know, did it press him to pay? Shelto's tax bill equals about three or four months of HPD's potential rent to lease his space.

If I wanted to keep the conversation to the police department, Shelto said he would talk, but if I wanted to focus on back taxes, he had no comment.

All of B A's property in the Willoughby have tax bills from previous owners, which include the Willoughby Condo Association. Shelto said he was under the impression that those taxes were paid at closing.

The new owner only assumes the unpaid tax liability, and doesn't have to pay them off, according to the Assessor's office. Sometimes, the outstanding tax bill may be negotiated as part of the closing, if the title search finds them.

B A owns five other properties scattered across the city that I could find on the Assessor's office computer. Three of B A's five properties owe back taxes from previous owners: 45 Montowese St. owes a $1,856, the apartment building at 108 Clark St. owes $958 and the house at 63 Heath owes $60.

Mayor Eddie Perez needs to write up an ordinance to ensure that all a new property owners pay all back taxes before a land deal can be closed. An extra $1,000 or $10,000 to the city won't make or break a $150,000 deal.

It is a surefire way for the city to be able to collect from deep pockets. Otherwise, landowners will view the city's lax collection efforts as a loan with 1.5 percent interest.

As well, Perez must create an ordinance that demands that city officials consult the tax collector on any properties they plan to rent, to ensure that potential landlords aren't delinquent. And if they are, the city won't trade with them until debts are square.

With city coffers as empty as they are, we need to invent ways to build cash flow.

8/03/05

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"Mayor Eddie Perez needs to write up an ordinance to ensure that all a new property owners pay all back taxes before a land deal can be closed."

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"Mayor Eddie Perez needs to write up an ordinance to ensure that all a new property owners pay all back taxes before a land deal can be closed."