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1999 SESSION


VIRGINIA ACTS OF ASSEMBLY -- CHAPTER
An Act to amend and reenact §§ 58.1-3128 and 58.1-3921 of the Code of Virginia, relating to procedures for the collection of local revenues.
[H 1942]
Approved

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§ 58.1-3128 and 58.1-3921 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 58.1-3128. Power to summon taxpayers and other persons; penalty.

A. The treasurer may, for the purpose of collecting all taxes due, summon the taxpayer or any other person to appear before him at his office, to answer, under oath, questions touching the tax liability of any and all taxpayers and to produce documents relating to such tax liability, either or both. For the purposes of administering this section, treasurers and their deputies may administer oaths.

B. Any person who refuses to answer, under oath, questions touching any person's tax liability shall be deemed guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor. Each days' refusal to answer such questions shall constitute a separate offense. Any court of competent jurisdiction may, upon the application of the treasurer or his deputy, compel the compliance of a taxpayer summoned or required to produce documents as required by this section.

C. Every writ, warrant, notice, summons or other process the treasurer is authorized to issue pursuant to general or local law shall be served pursuant to § 8.01-292 or by the treasurer or his deputy or designee, and shall be executed and returned in like manner as the civil process of a court of competent jurisdiction.

§ 58.1-3921. Treasurer to make out lists of uncollectable taxes and delinquents.

The treasurer, after ascertaining which of the taxes and levies assessed at any time in his county or city have not been collected, shall, not later than August 1 in each year within sixty days of the end of the fiscal year, make out lists as follows:

1. A list of real estate on the commissioner's land book improperly placed thereon or not ascertainable, with the amount of taxes charged thereon.

2. A list of other real estate which is delinquent for the nonpayment of the taxes thereon. This list shall not include any taxes listed under numbers subdivision 4 or 5 of this section.

3. A list of such of the taxes assessed on tangible personal property, machinery and tools and merchants' capital, and other subjects of local taxation, other than real estate, as he was unable to collect which are delinquent. This list shall not include any taxes listed under numbers subdivision 4 or 5 of this section.

4. A list of the uncollected taxes amounting to less than five dollars each for which no bills were sent under § 58.1-3912.

5. A list of uncollected balances of previously billed taxes amounting to less than five dollars each as to which the treasurer has determined that the costs of collecting such balances would exceed the amount recoverable, provided that the treasurer shall not include on such list any balance with respect to which he has reason to believe that the taxpayer has purposely paid less than the amount due and owing.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, no tax or levy which has been discharged or otherwise rendered legally uncollectable as to a taxpayer liable upon it in a proceeding under the United States Bankruptcy Code (Title 11 of the United States Code) shall be considered delinquent with respect to that taxpayer on and after the date such obligation is discharged or otherwise rendered legally uncollectable, and the treasurer shall not include any such discharged or uncollectable obligation in any list required to be prepared pursuant to this section. Any such discharged or uncollectable obligation shall be stricken from the books of the treasurer as of the date the obligation is discharged or otherwise rendered uncollectable, and the treasurer thereafter shall have no further duty to collect such tax or levy.

The governing body of any town may, by ordinance, adopt the procedures set forth in this section and § 58.1-3924. If such ordinance is adopted, the town treasurer shall submit such lists to the governing body as provided in § 58.1-3924.