84.56.070 - Personal property -- Distraint and sale, notice, property incapable of manual delivery, property about to be removed or disposed of.

Personal property — Distraint and sale, notice, property incapable of manual delivery, property about to be removed or disposed of.

The county treasurer shall proceed to collect all personal property taxes after first completing the tax roll for the current year's collection. The treasurer shall give notice by mail to all persons charged with personal property taxes, and if such taxes are not paid before they become delinquent, the treasurer shall forthwith proceed to collect the same. In the event that he or she is unable to collect the same when due, the treasurer shall prepare papers in distraint, which shall contain a description of the personal property, the amount of taxes, the amount of the accrued interest at the rate provided by law from the date of delinquency, and the name of the owner or reputed owner. The treasurer shall without demand or notice distrain sufficient goods and chattels belonging to the person charged with such taxes to pay the same, with interest at the rate provided by law from the date of delinquency, together with all accruing costs, and shall proceed to advertise the same by posting written notices in three public places in the county in which such property has been distrained, one of which places shall be at the county court house, such notice to state the time when and place where such property will be sold. The county treasurer, or the treasurer's deputy, shall tax the same fees for making the distraint and sale of goods and chattels for the payment of taxes as are allowed by law to sheriffs for making levy and sale of property on execution; traveling fees to be computed from the county seat of the county to the place of making distraint. If the taxes for which such property is distrained, and the interest and costs accruing thereon, are not paid before the date appointed for such sale, which shall be not less than ten days after the taking of such property, such treasurer or treasurer's designee shall proceed to sell such property at public auction, or so much thereof as shall be sufficient to pay such taxes, with interest and costs, and if there be any excess of money arising from the sale of any personal property, the treasurer shall pay such excess less any cost of the auction to the owner of the property so sold or to his or her legal representative: PROVIDED, That whenever it shall become necessary to distrain any standing timber owned separately from the ownership of the land upon which the same may stand, or any fish trap, pound net, reef net, set net or drag seine fishing location, or any other personal property as the treasurer shall determine to be incapable or reasonably impracticable of manual delivery, it shall be deemed to have been distrained and taken into possession when the treasurer shall have, at least thirty days before the date fixed for the sale thereof, filed with the auditor of the county wherein such property is located a notice in writing reciting that the treasurer has distrained such property, describing it, giving the name of the owner or reputed owner, the amount of the tax due, with interest, and the time and place of sale; a copy of the notice shall also be sent to the owner or reputed owner at his last known address, by registered letter at least thirty days prior to the date of sale: AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That if the county treasurer has reasonable grounds to believe that any personal property, including mobile homes, manufactured homes, or park model trailers, upon which taxes have been levied, but not paid, is about to be removed from the county where the same has been assessed, or is about to be destroyed, sold or disposed of, the county treasurer may demand such taxes, without the notice provided for in this section, and if necessary may forthwith distrain sufficient goods and chattels to pay the same.

[2009 c 350 § 2; 2007 c 295 § 5; 1991 c 245 § 19; (1975-'76 2nd ex.s. c 10 § 2 expired December 31, 1976); 1961 c 15 § 84.56.070. Prior: 1949 c 21 § 2; 1935 c 30 § 4; 1933 c 33 § 1; 1925 ex.s. c 130 § 86; Rem. Supp. 1949 § 11247; prior: 1915 c 137 § 1; 1911 c 24 § 2; 1899 c 141 § 7; 1897 c 71 § 71; 1895 c 176 § 15; 1893 c 124 § 72; 1890 p 561 § 87; Code 1881 § 2903. Formerly RCW 84.56.070, 84.56.080, and 84.56.100.]

Notes:Issuance of warrant: RCW 84.56.075.