A prominent Baltimore City landlord and Harford County restaurateur top a list of Maryland?s most delinquent taxpayers who Comptroller Peter Franchot said have “ignored” all of his efforts to collect.
Franchot posted the names of 50 individuals and businesses who owe a cumulative $6.1 million in unpaid taxes, penalties and interest on his Web site Monday. His office said 32 scofflaw taxpayers coughed up $1.5 million in unpaid taxes since publishing their names.
“It absolutely works,” said Christine Duray, a Franchot spokeswoman.”These are people that either haven?t bothered to set up a payment plan or return our calls or letters. They haven?t made any effort to pay.”
Topping the list this round is Lawrence Polakoff — a Baltimore City landlord who recently lost a high-profile lead-paint suit.
His family evicts tenants for overdue ground rent, and his tax liability is more than $414,400, court records state. The Havre de Grace owners of Diane?s Family Restaurant, Lloyd and Leah Binion, made the list?s second spot with nearly
$320,000 in overdue taxes.
Small-business advocates cautioned tax collectors frequently publish scofflaw lists to embarrass delinquents, but often hide the “other side of the story.”
Some business owners could have pending litigation, or don?t have the resources to dispute taxes, said Richard Falknor, executive vice president of the Maryland Taxpayers Association.
“I look at lists with a great sensitivity,” Falknor said. “The case can be ambiguous, or two-sided.”
Attempts to reach the Binions were unsuccessful. Polakoff said he had not seen the list and declined to comment.
Duray said the program has netted $20.3 million from 451 delinquent taxpayers since it began in 2000.
State officials in June launched a program with the U.S. Department of the Treasury to collect unpaid taxes from federal vendors. Franchot said the state is on track to collect $2 million in back taxes the first year.
TOP 5 DELINQUENT TAXPAYERS
1. Lawrence M. and Leslie Polakoff (Baltimore): $414,534
2. Diane?s Family Restaurant (Havre de Grace): $319,674
3. Martin J. Beeson (Missouri): $278,587
4. Asgard Construction Co. (Annapolis): $247,767
5. Without Equal Building Services (Baltimore): $133,683
Source: Comptroller of Maryland
