Last-minute agreement prevents seizure of company assets

HARLINGEN - Cameron County tax office representatives and sheriff deputies served a tax warrant on Sunglo Fellowship Center Inc./ Sunglo Home Health Service Inc. on Thursday, trying to collect about $141,000 in back taxes.

A last-minute offer to pay most of the back taxes caused Cameron County Tax Assessor-Collector Tony Yzaguirre to call off seizure of Sunglo's cars, trucks and vans.

After meeting with Sunglo officials, Yzaguirre at first said he had called wreckers to begin seizures.

"We failed to come up with an agreement," the tax assessor said, showing a tax warrant issued by the 357th state District Court. "We're going to start seizing vehicles."

But one of Yzaguirre's assistants then reported that Sunglo officials had relented and would produce a cashier's check for $120,000 and promised to pay the balance of the tax debt within 10 days, he said.

Sunglo officials did not immediately return a reporter's telephone call on Thursday.

Cars and trucks would have been auctioned within 10 days to collect the amount due, plus costs of the seizure, Yzaguirre said.

If not enough money was recovered by auctioning motor vehicles, "our next step would be to come in and start seizing furniture, fixtures, computers and enough equipment to satisfy taxes that are due," the tax assessor said.

"If that still is not enough, the last resort would be to seize their bank accounts," Yzaguirre said.

Since the taxes are owed on "personal property," such as vehicles, furnishings, computers and other office equipment, those items are seized and sold on a surprise basis because they can be easily removed, Yzaguirre said.

Overdue real estate property taxes are collected in separate court action by a law firm which files lawsuits and then obtains court orders that allow the county to sell buildings and land, Yzaguirre said.

Seven other businesses will be visited, beginning today, Yzaguirre said.

The total amount of taxes on personal property owed at all eight businesses is $195,311, Yzaguirre said.

The amounts were owed to eight governmental units for which the county collects taxes: Cameron County, $5,302.49; city of Harlingen, $36,579; city of San Benito, $735; city of Brownsville, $396; Harlingen school district, $92,052; San Benito school district, $1,914; and Brownsville school district, $4,077, Yzaguirre said.

Sunglo's last-minute offer of a check gave the company a reprieve, but only for 10 days, Yzaguirre said.

"We've decided to hold off," he said. "They've made an effort to pay their debt. I'm going to wait. As soon as that check is in my hand, we'll leave. ... This shows we're willing to work with any taxpayer."

But the full amount must be paid quickly, Yzaguirre said.

"If they don't pay the balance in 10 days, we'll be back," he said. "Certain individuals don't take us seriously. When we walked out of the (Sunglo) conference room, we ordered the wreckers. They saw that we meant business."

Sunglo owns properties at 1001 Morgan Blvd., 1001 S. F St., and 3201 S. Expressway 77/83 in Harlingen; 1462 Scott Browns, San Benito; and 914 Los Ebanos Blvd. and 944 Los Ebanos Blvd., Brownsville.