[Adopted by the Town Meeting of the Town of Freetown as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 6-3-2024 ATM by Art. 23]
Pursuant to the provisions of MGL c. 60, § 62A, the Town Treasurer-Collector shall have the authority to enter into written payment agreements with any person entitled to redeem ownership of parcels in tax title which have been taken by the Town as a result of nonpayment of real estate taxes. The payment agreement shall be executed on such terms and conditions for payment of the delinquent taxes, interest and any other costs, fees or charges associated with same, in accordance with MGL c. 60, § 62A, and this bylaw. The Treasurer-Collector shall not refuse to enter into agreements with eligible taxpayers.
This bylaw shall apply to all taxpayers with parcels in the following assessment categories of tax title in the Town:
A. 
Commercial property;
B. 
Residential property;
C. 
Industrial; and
D. 
Open space.
[Amended 2-24-2025 STM by Art. 3]
The following conditions must be met prior to the Town entering into a payment agreement:
A. 
The Town has not filed a petition to foreclose the rights of redemption with the Land Court; and
B. 
All real estate taxes and water/sewer user fees due for the current fiscal year assessed against the parcel must be paid to date.
[Amended 2-24-2025 STM by Art. 3]
All payment agreements shall comply with the following minimum requirements:
A. 
The payment agreement shall be for a term of five years; provided, however, that nothing herein shall preclude the taxpayer from completing payments of the amount owed within a shorter period of time;
B. 
The payment agreement shall not include a waiver of the interest that has accrued in the tax title account prior to execution of the agreement but shall include a waiver of 50% the interest that accrues during the term of the agreement, but only if the taxpayer fully complies with the terms of the agreement (no taxes or collection costs may be waived);
C. 
The payment agreement shall state the amount of the payment due from the taxpayer at the time of execution of the agreement, which shall be 10% of the amount needed to redeem the parcel at the inception of the agreement. The taxpayer must then agree to pay the remaining balance due to the Town in equal monthly installments.
During the term of the agreement, the Treasurer-Collector may not bring an action to foreclose the tax title unless payments are not made in accordance with the schedule set out in the payment agreement or timely payments are not made on other amounts due to the Town that constitute a lien on the same parcel.
Nothing in this bylaw shall preempt or preclude the authority of the Treasurer-Collector to accept partial payments or to negotiate and enter into payment agreements authorized by MGL c. 60, §§ 22 and 22A, or any other statutory authority.