Sugar Land City Councilman Thomas Abraham lost a bid Tuesday to recover penalties and interest assessed against him for late payment of taxes on Stafford property Abraham owns.
Abraham was billed for $1,145 in penalties and interest after failing to pay an $8,810 tax bill on time for a property at 2411 S. Main St., where Hill’s Automotive operates.
The councilman wrote Fort Bend County Judge Bob Hebert earlier this year, requesting that the county waive the penalties and interest because, he said, the tax bill was sent to Hill’s Automotive instead of Abraham’s Sugar Land residence as he’d requested “several times.”
“I was told my request would be taken care of and as a result my account was delinquent,” Abraham said in the letter to Hebert. “As a taxpayer for other properties, all accounts are paid on time. To avoid future delinquencies, I request again to have my address changed.”
“If you have documented proof of an error on the part of the county tax office or the central appraisal district, you may present that documentation to the Commissioners Court on Nov. 21…when your request will be considered,” Hebert said in a letter of reply to Abraham. “State law mandates that the Commissioners Court cannot approve a waiver of penalty and interest on property taxes unless an error can be proved…”
At Tuesday’s court meeting, Precinct 2 Commissioner Grady Prestage said there appeared to be no error in the county’s billing Abraham, and noted that County Tax Assessor/Collector Patsy Schultz had written a memo to the court recommending that the penalties and interest not be waived.
The court voted down Abraham’s request.
According to appraisal district records, Abraham’s 1.86-acre main street property was assessed at $291,730 for 2006. Its assessed value has steadily decreased since 2004, when it was set at $371,350. In 2005, the district assessed the property at $355,370.
Abraham could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday morning.
Abraham was billed for $1,145 in penalties and interest after failing to pay an $8,810 tax bill on time for a property at 2411 S. Main St., where Hill’s Automotive operates.
The councilman wrote Fort Bend County Judge Bob Hebert earlier this year, requesting that the county waive the penalties and interest because, he said, the tax bill was sent to Hill’s Automotive instead of Abraham’s Sugar Land residence as he’d requested “several times.”
“I was told my request would be taken care of and as a result my account was delinquent,” Abraham said in the letter to Hebert. “As a taxpayer for other properties, all accounts are paid on time. To avoid future delinquencies, I request again to have my address changed.”
