More than $1 million owed in back property taxes to Nueces County 

More than $1 million is owed to Nueces County by the top 25 delinquent property tax payers.

According to the Nueces County Tax Assessor-Collector’s office, the list varies, including multi-million dollar corporations and individuals in their 90s.

Tax assessor-collector Kevin Kieschnick keeps the list handy to make sure the office is staying on top of the delinquent, or “slow paying,” accounts.

The list is comprised of 400 properties for a total of $1,046,111.71. This amount is unpaid business personal property and real estate property taxes to Nueces County only.

The county also funnels property tax payments to the city of Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi Independent School District, Del Mar College, Nueces County Hospital District, Farm to Market Road, Tuloso Midway ISD and Emergency Services District No. 1.

If the company or individual does not pay or arrange a payment agreement, the county has the right to bring them to court and foreclose on the property.

There are multiple reasons why a company may be delinquent on their property taxes: bankruptcy proceedings (and protection), individuals’ age, hurricane damage or the company is disputing their property values.

Here are a few of the top 25 on the delinquency list:

Legal issues

Flint Hills Resources LLC West Plant and Flint Hills Resources LP are both listed in the top five of delinquent companies. But since the company is disputing its property values in court, Kieschnick said it is technically not delinquent.

Essentially, Flint Hills has paid what they believe they should be taxed and are fighting the remaining balance.

M&G Resins USA LLC owes $41,477 in back taxes. The company filed for bankruptcy in October 2017.

Lawsuits brought by the county are underway or pending for a number of companies that owe more than $20,000, including H&G Contractors, Inc. ($36,090); Sundial Timeshare Corp. ($35,374); Corpus Note Acquisitions LLC ($27,958.16); Republic Resources LLC (23,755).

Hurricane related

Two Port Aransas companies listed were affected by Hurricane Harvey.

AAL Property LLC is awaiting trial to dispute its $29,052 balance owed to the county. Kieschnick described it as a T-shirt company that was destroyed in the storm.

WMI Properties LLC owes $19,617 on its 35 properties in Port Aransas. The county is preparing to foreclose on those properties, Kieschnick said.

Individuals

There are individuals listed who owe a large amount in back taxes.

Two individuals are over age 65 and have invoked the “over 65 or disabled” tax deferral. The three properties equal to nearly $30,000 owed in back taxes.

According to the Texas Attorney General’s Office, taxpayers who are 65 years or older may defer their property taxes until their estates are settled after their death.

Noteworthy

Sam Kane Beef Processors LLC owes the county twice for its separate business personal property and real estate properties (SKB Acquisition Company LLC) for a total of nearly $500,000.

Revolution Energy, a Colorado Springs-based company that owns six wind turbines on the Nueces County portion of the Port of Corpus Christi, owes $38,899.

Kieschnick said the company is currently suing the wind turbine manufacturer because the turbines are constantly breaking down which leads to little-to-no energy creation or profits.

Red Fish Bay Properties LTD is disputing the $26,470 it owes because it does not believe the property has ever been a part of the company.

And the property is submerged underwater in the bay, Kieschnick said.

“Until the county appraiser takes it off our rolls, we have to tax the property,” he said.

A Robstown company, Quality Machine and Equipment Company, has been delinquent on the county tax rolls for several years.

But the county has no plans to foreclose on the property because it’s contaminated by mercury. The company has a tax lien of about $300,000 from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

The Caller-Times has requested the list of delinquent commercial accounts that was provided to City Council. The news organization was directed to file a Freedom of Information Act request.

Currently, about 1,300 businesses are behind on their utility bills, which equals roughly 14 percent of the city’s total commercial accounts.

Records show that those delinquent, or “slow paying,” businesses represent 1.2 percent of the money collected by the department, McComb said.