The May 2011 Issue of The County Tax Lien Converter

Helping Pennsylvania Taxing Districts Hit By Unpaid Property Taxes Generate New Revenue For Their Budgets Since 2003 May 2011

The County Tax Lien Converter

Online Newsletter From Municipal Revenue Service

MRS Attends “Financial Fiesta” at 2011 Spring CCAP Conference The County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) is the voice of county government, a statewide, nonprofit, nonpartisan Association representing all of Pennsylvania's 67 counties. CCAP membership includes the county commissioners, council members, county executives, administrators, chief clerks and solicitors. At this year’s Spring CCAP Conference at the Hilton Harrisburg, MRS staffers Chuck Herron and Jeff Spaulding were invited to attend a “Financial Fiesta” in one of the hospitality suites, where the food and decorations lived up to its theme. Senator Rich Alloway also attended and was warmly welcomed by the commissioners who appreciated an opportunity to have a one-on-one discussion with a sitting senator. MRS was pleased to be invited, having an opportunity to visit with many attendees throughout the evening, including three past CCAP presidents and the current president, Mark Hamilton. Two representatives from the Governor’s office, David Mitchell from the Northeast office and Harry Forbes from the Northwest office, also stopped by.

The Telephone is Ringing: Keep Calling MRS With Your Inquiries!!! "The telephone is ringing"...you remember the song by Alice Cooper..."you've got me on the run". Such is the office dance at Municipal Revenue Service these days as we lend an ear to your questions about our unique process of converting tax liens into instant revenue, all across Pennsylvania. County business managers and other executives from around the state are finally getting the message: the same system that has helped dozens of school districts generate money from unpaid property taxes can do the same for county governments too, and has been available to do so since its inception seven years ago. “It’s no secret, this recent upsurge of interest in us,” says Chuck Herron, MRS founder. “The unfortunate turn in the economy a few years back, coupled with recently announced statewide budget cutbacks, is turning more than a few heads. Public professionals are giving us a second look, wanting to know more about our process and how we can help them fill some of the budget gaps. Overall, we’re pleased to report that even with the increasing demand for new revenue due to those massive cut backs, Municipal Revenue Service will be able to meet the financial demands of our growing clientele. Just give us a call.” Despite economic challenges and budget shortfalls, the banking industry has stepped up with a remarkably strong response to help meet those needs. The product MRS offers to clients has withstood the test of time with seven years of success stories, all wins, no losses, a proven track record. This success has continuously made our mantra to "convert non-performing assets into revenue for schools and municipalities" the leading tax lien conversion system in Pennsylvania, by a wide margin. Municipal Revenue Services offers a unique tax lien management tool to help taxing districts with the ongoing challenge of delinquent taxes. Our I-PORTAL program turns delinquent taxes into immediate revenue. The processes that are in place with the county or district delinquent tax collector will not change and the lien management program will be invisible to the district without having to change any of the processes that are currently in place at any level. MRS has helped counties, municipalities and school districts across Pennsylvania acquire revenues in excess of $300,000,000. Taxing districts that have not yet participated and would like to learn more should contact MRS at 814-476-0400 to arrange a presentation, and by all means, let’s keep that telephone ringing!

Having represented Municipal Revenue Services for five years as a Revenue Specialist, I still on occasion have to listen through second-hand, misinterpreted versions of our program fed to me by someone who has yet to see our presentation! After counting to 10,000, I cool off and have to remind myself that you and yours are defending the public interest in all you do, and that includes looking through skeptically-tinted spectacles at new ideas. It’s my job to inform you that MRS is not a chest of new ideas that sound “too good to be true.” In fact, they’re not “new” ideas anymore. For the past seven years our system of converting your unpaid property taxes into instant revenue is not something “too good to be true”, but instead a proven system that always yields instant revenue by buying your tax liens today. Here’s another misconception about our process: “The County will just stop collecting the delinquent taxes and the program will fall apart.” False. The County has an obligation to perform this service. Should things start to fall behind for some reason, MRS will use its contractual authority to step in and find a replacement collector to fill the void. Here’s a fallacy that’s been drilled through my ear wax more than once: “This is not revenue.” Yes, it is in fact new revenue to the presented by Jeff Spaulding, MRS Associate Taxing District because the District has sold their receivables to a non-profit purchaser. GASB provides the accounting support for the transaction and the Chief Counsel for the PA Department of Economic and Community development has opined to this fact as well. “We will see a drop in our budgeted revenue next year.” No, the transaction helps to assure that the Taxing District continues to receive a steady revenue stream. Should the District turn over less for collections, it goes without saying that there will be less received as you will have your revenue in current paid taxes. If your District has a specific question or concern about the operations of our I-PORTAL program, we are a phone call away. We encourage you to call our portfolio of very satisfied clientele, listed on our website at www.municipalrevenues.com. They will speak volumes more about the secure nature of our program than we ever can in a brief sales pitch. So give us a call at 814-476-0400 and get it from the horse’s mouth!