No, it isn’t a “government paper work snafu,” and no one is “victim blaming” because no one is a victim.
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The property owners–not the City–are responsible for maintaining their address-of-record so the City can contact them about tax changes, bills, service, etc.
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The property owners are responsible for paying their $14.00 yearly tax. For thirty years, the City contacted the owners about the outstanding tax bill but the property owners didn’t respond. That’s the property owners’ fault, not the City’s. (see #1)
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The property owners are responsible for managing their HOA. When their accountant stopped working for the HOA thirty years ago, the property owners and the HOA were responsible for working with the accountant to update records, addresses, etc. Again, the responsibility belongs to the property owners, not the City. (see #1)
All of that neatly ignores the fact that the City contacts the HOA at either the address or through whoever is listed on record with the City, at the address the property owners provide and maintain with the City. The City doesn’t use Google to track down HOAs, the City contacts the people listed on the documents submitted and maintained by the people themselves. (see #1)
I know it’s easy and fun to blame The Government when people are wronged, but in this case, the property owners failed to pay their taxes, and they have no one to blame but themselves. The end.
