Anyone caught renting out his or her property to tourists without collecting and paying the necessary lodgers’ tax will now have more reason for concern since the Pagosa Springs Town Council passed a new ordinance at its meeting last Thursday.
“This ordinance gives the lodgers’ tax code some teeth,” Town Clerk April Hessman explained. “At this point, the code just says the clerk is going to collect the lodgers’ tax, and if you don’t pay it we are going to write you a letter. This actually gives me something to do after they review the letter and continue to not pay.”
Hessman explained that Ordinance 831 would allow the town to follow the same procedure it does when collecting on outstanding bills for the sanitation district — if someone refuses to pay, the town can file a lien against the property with the Archuleta County Treasurer’s Office, which will add the amount owed onto the person’s property taxes.
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