City of Philadelphia - File #: 130391

• File #: 130391
• Version: 0
• Type: Resolution
• Status: ADOPTED
• File created: 5/9/2013
• In control: CITY COUNCIL
• Final action: 5/16/2013
• Title: Calling on the City Council of Philadelphia to support Pennsylvania House Bill 391, Introduced by the Honorable Michael P. McGeehan, State Representative, 173rd Legislative District, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which allows for the citizens of the City Philadelphia to pay real estate taxes in installments.
• Sponsors: Councilmember Blackwell, Councilmember Bass, Councilmember Reynolds Brown, Councilmember O'Brien, Councilmember Goode, Councilmember Kenney, Councilmember Oh, Councilmember Johnson, Councilmember Jones, Councilmember Henon, Councilmember Squilla, Councilmember Quiñones Sánchez

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
5/16/2013	0	CITY COUNCIL	ADOPTED
5/9/2013	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced and Ordered Placed On Next Week's Final Passage Calendar	Pass
5/9/2013	0	CITY COUNCIL	ADOPTED BY STANDING VOTE

Title
Calling on the City Council of Philadelphia to support Pennsylvania House Bill 391, Introduced by the Honorable Michael P. McGeehan, State Representative, 173rd Legislative District, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which allows for the citizens of the City Philadelphia to pay real estate taxes in installments.

Body
WHEREAS, State Representative Michael P. McGeehan has served the 173rd Legislative District in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania since 1991; and

WHEREAS, State Represent McGeehan is the Democratic chair of the House Transportation Committee, a member of the Rules Committee, and formerly Majority Chairman of the Pennsylvania House Professional Licensure Committee; and

WHEREAS, On January 29, 2013, State Representative McGeehan introduced House Bill 391, which was subsequently amended and passed out of the House Committee on Urban Affairs on April 29, 2013; and

WHEREAS, State Representative McGeehan's legislation aims to "allow people to make installment plans on their yearly real estate tax bills"; and

WHEREAS, It is estimated that forty percent of Philadelphia residents own their homes outright and have to pay their real estate taxes in a lump sum each year; and

WHEREAS, Many homeowners are either elderly, disabled, veterans, low-income, and/or are on a fixed-income, and thus, are unable to pay their real estate tax in one payment; and

WHEREAS, Many Philadelphian's inherit their properties and are not familiar with the real estate tax system, and may be without the means to pay real estate taxes in a lump sum as Philadelphia's system is currently setup; and

WHEREAS, Homeowners who cannot afford to pay their real estate taxes in a lump sum payment, although they do not meet low income criteria, may become delinquent and are assessed penalties, interest, and fines, which place them at risk of having liens placed on their properties, or having their properties put up for sheriff's sale; and

WHEREAS, With the introduction of Actual Value I...