DA seeks tax break for seized property

By Mary E. Young
Reading Eagle, PA
08/09/06

Berks County District Attorney Mark C. Baldwin asked the county commissioners Tuesday for a $458 property tax break.

The property at 4418 Mays Road, Exeter Township, was seized in a drug raid in October 2004, he told Commissioners Thomas W. Gajewski Sr. and Mark C. Scott.

Then, the former owner, George J. Broadfoot III, 45, went to state prison in March 2005, leaving the property taxes unpaid for that year, Baldwin said.

He said the court did not approve his ownership of the property under the state forfeiture law until October 2005 one month too late to file for the nonprofit status needed to take the past-due property taxes off the books.

A buyer has agreed to pay $95,000 for the property, but it can't be sold because of the overdue taxes, Baldwin said.

“This is the first time we've ever had this issue come up,” he said.

Proceeds from the sale will be handled the same way as usual, with the money going into a forfeiture fund that is used to pay for other drug investigations, he said.