Vernon Hires Contractor To Hunt Down Vehicle Owners Who Are 'Dodging Local Taxes'

VERNON, CT — In an effort to "ensure taxpayers are being treated equally," the town of Vernon has contracted with a third-party company called Capital Tax Recovery to find cars, trucks, recreational vehicles and trailers that are garaged in Vernon but registered elsewhere in Connecticut or out of state.

The Vernon Town Council on Tuesday voted 10-0 with one abstention to enter into a contract with Berlin-based Capital Tax Recovery.

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Investigators for the company will now "travel throughout town, scan license plates and ensure those vehicles are properly registered," munjicipal officials said.

When there are questions, Capital Tax Recovery employees
will contact vehicle owners, officials added.

The registration plate data will be stored only as long as it is needed, and will only be used for the program, officials said.

State law requires residents to register their vehicles in Connecticut within 90 days of moving to the state or another municipality.

Vernon residents are required to registered their vehicles in Vernon.

Should a vehicle be discovered to be improperly registered in another town or state, Vernon’s assessor has the ability to seek three years of back taxes and interest. Vernon Assessor Todd Helems said people registering vehicles in places they do not live in order to avoid local property taxes is a statewide problem.

People who have improperly registered vehicles can contact
Helems at 860-870-3625 to correct their record, officials said.

"This really is a matter of fairness," Town Administrator John Kleinhans said. "The vast majority of Vernon residents do the right thing, have their vehicles properly registered and pay motor vehicle taxes. When people skirt the law and avoid local taxes, they hurt their neighbors by not paying their fair share."

In addition to back taxes, residents found to have their vehicles improperly registered also face a $50 fee for each improperly registered vehicle.

"We regularly hear from residents who see vehicles in their neighborhoods with out-of-state license plates and are frustrated their neighbor is avoiding local taxes," Helems said. "We contracted with Capital Tax Recovery partly to address those concerns."

There is no upfront cost to the town for Capital Tax Recovery’s services. The company receives a commission on each vehicle it identifies that is returned to Vernon’s tax rolls.

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For more information about Capital Tax Recovery, or to report a vehicle believed to be improperly registered, follow this link to the company’s website.